Impact of Neighborhood Benefits on Mental Health
Author Information
Author(s): David L Fone, Keith Lloyd, Frank D Dunstan
Primary Institution: Cardiff University
Hypothesis
Is the mental health status of individuals associated with contextual measures of low income, economic inactivity, and disability?
Conclusion
Living in areas with high levels of benefits claimants is linked to worse mental health.
Supporting Evidence
- Higher levels of claimants were associated with lower mental health scores.
- Non-means tested benefits showed stronger associations with mental health than means tested benefits.
- Contextual effects were significantly stronger in economically inactive individuals.
Takeaway
If you live in a neighborhood where many people are not working or have disabilities, you might feel sadder or more stressed.
Methodology
Data from the Welsh Health Survey 1998 were analyzed using multilevel models.
Potential Biases
Potential health selection bias where individuals with poor health may move to poorer neighborhoods.
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional, which limits causal inferences.
Participant Demographics
Individuals aged 17 to 74 years from 833 wards in Wales.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI for parameter estimates ranged from -1.950 to -1.349 for disability benefits.
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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