Exploring the Association of Perceived Safety of Household Children in the Neighborhood with Levels of Depression Among Spanish Speaking Latina Adults Living in a Disadvantaged Neighborhood

Purpose

Previous research has confirmed that neighborhood level social factors (e.g. crime, safety) present chronic stressors that increase risk for depression in residents of economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.  U.S. Latinos experience higher levels of poverty and thus are more likely to live in poor neighborhoods. They also report suffering from chronic depression at higher rates than non-Latino whites. Latina caretakers of household children are at even higher risk of suffering from depression due to the effects of the chronic stress associated with worrying about children’s safety and wellbeing in the disadvantaged neighborhood. The particular mechanisms that are involved in this process have been under studied with this population.   In this study it was hypothesized that adult Latina women who reported (1) higher levels of worry regarding the general safety of their household children in the neighborhood, (2) higher levels of worry regarding influence of bad friends on their household children, and (3) higher levels of worry regarding their household children being exposed to drugs and alcohol, would also report higher levels of depression after controlling for the individual level characteristics of level of acculturation, education, age, income

Method

This study used a cross-sectional survey design and a convenience sample of Latina women. 136 Latinas were recruited from an economically disadvantaged, predominantly Latino, inner-city neighborhood from October 2010 through April 2011 as part of a larger Latina caregiver study.  All participants completed the study survey in Spanish. Depression was measured using the CES-D Spanish version. Caretaker worry was measure based on the answer to the following three questions: During the past 12 months, how stressful was each of these experiences for you? 1) Feeling your children were not safe in your neighborhood 2) Your children being influenced by bad friends and 3) Your children being exposed to drugs or alcohol.

Participants traced their roots to Puerto Rico (68.5%), Cuba (15.7%), the Dominican Republic (9.4%), and Mexico (3.1%). The mean age was 39 years. 73.4% had an annual household income below $14,999. 48.8% had not completed high school. Missing data was replaced with multiple imputations. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed using two steps. The first step included all four individual level control variables. Step two included the three hypothesized predictor variables.  

Results

Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that the first step consisting of control variables was significantly correlated with depression, R² =.12, F(4,780 ) =26.03, p < .001 .  After all of the predictors were entered, the resulting R² increased significantly, R² = .23 F (3, 777) = 39.99, p < .001.

Implications

Understanding both micro and macro level factors that contribute to depression is essential for developing complex multi-level explanatory models and designing effective interventions.  Within the field of social work, policy makers and direct service workers need to address the more macro level correlates of depression in addition to individual ones while designing interventions.  This study contributes to an emerging critical framework that illustrates how public policy influences the more proximal mechanisms that contribute to mental health and health problems.