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Daniel J. Kruger, PhD, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, SPH II, M2523, 109 Observatory, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, 734.936.4927, kruger@umich.edu and Thomas Reischl, PhD, Health Behavior & Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 109 Observatory Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029.
Objectives
The conditions of one’s environment can provide resources to facilitate coping and/or present additional stressors. This presentation will describe the interrelationship of objective neighborhood conditions, perceptions of neighborhood conditions, and mental health.
Methods
The PRC/MI Speak to your Health! Community Survey asked 1862 residents of Genesee County about the conditions in their neighborhood and included measures of sadness and emotional stress. We also obtained data from the 21st Century Flint Environmental Block Assessment on the physical conditions of neighborhood structures and data from the US Census Bureau on neighborhood demographics and other descriptives. We used Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to geographically map the data.
Results
We found that participants’ perceptions of the conditions in their neighborhood, fear of crime, neighborhood social support, and respondent self-reported levels of sadness and emotional distress were all associated. We also found relationships between mental health and objective environmental conditions. Respondents’ emotional distress was correlated with the percentages of housing units that were vacant in their census tract, and inversely related to the quality of the physical condition of residential structures in their census tract.
Conclusions
Both objective environmental conditions and perceptions of one’s environment relate to mental health. GIS enhances the understanding of the interrelationships amongst neighborhood conditions, perceptions, and the mental health of the residents and facilitates the identification of areas exhibiting the highest need for intervention. We will discuss how these data can be used to identify areas in the city where community development efforts may be most useful.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to
Keywords: Mental Health, Environment
Related Web page: www.sph.umich.edu/prc/products/survey_info.html
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.