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Neighbourhood context and diagnosed mental health conditions among immigrant and non-immigrant youth: a population-based cohort study in British Columbia, Canada.
- Source :
-
Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology [Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol] 2023 May; Vol. 58 (5), pp. 693-709. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jun 13. - Publication Year :
- 2023
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Abstract
- Purpose: Evidence from systematic reviews suggests that adult immigrants living in areas of higher immigrant density (areas with a higher proportion of foreign-born residents) tend to experience fewer mental health problems-likely through less discrimination, greater access to culturally/linguistically appropriate services, and greater social support. Less is known about how such contexts are associated with mental health during childhood-a key period in the onset and development of many mental health challenges. This study examined associations between neighbourhood immigrant density and youth mental health conditions in British Columbia (BC; Canada).<br />Methods: Census-derived neighbourhood characteristics were linked to medical records for youth present in ten of BC's largest school districts from age 5 through 19 over the study period (1995-2016; nā=ā138,090). Occurrence of physician assessed diagnoses of mood and/or anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorder was inferred through International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnostic codes in universal public health insurance records. Multi-level logistic regression was used to model associations between neighbourhood characteristics and odds of diagnoses for each condition; models were stratified by generation status (first-generation: foreign-born; second-generation: Canadian-born to a foreign-born parent; non-immigrant).<br />Results: Higher neighbourhood immigrant density was associated with lower odds of disorders among first-generation immigrant youth (e.g., adjusted odds of mood-anxiety disorders for those in neighbourhoods with the highest immigrant density were 0.67 times lower (95% CI: 0.49, 0.92) than those in neighbourhoods with the lowest immigrant density). Such protective associations generally extended to second-generation and non-immigrant youth, but were-for some disorders-stronger for first-generation than second-generation or non-immigrant youth.<br />Conclusions: Findings suggest there may be protective mechanisms associated with higher neighbourhood immigrant density for mental health conditions in immigrant and non-immigrant youth. It is important that future work examines potential pathways by which contextual factors impact immigrant and non-immigrant youth mental health.<br /> (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1433-9285
- Volume :
- 58
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35695905
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-022-02301-2