Perceived Crime in the Neighborhood and Mental Health of Women and Children

Abstract

A three-year panel study was conducted to examine the impact of the residential environment on the mental health of the respondents and their children. This report focuses on the influence of crime in the neighborhood upon the well-being of 337 Black and Hispanic women and their children. The findings suggest some adverse effect of crime on mental health of the adults, but no reliable effects on the mental health of children. Few interactive effects of crime with other residential and social-environmental parameters were observed.