Exploring protective influences for associations of neighborhood adversity with psychopathology and cognitive outcomes

ObjectiveNeighborhood adversity predicts mental health and cognitive outcomes, but little is known about structural factors that may buffer these links. The current study addresses this gap by assessing the role of protective factors in the association of neighborhood deprivation, threat, and segregation with psychopathology symptoms and cognitive outcomes. MethodLinear mixed models were run in the ABCD sample of 11,868 participants to test associations of neighborhood Area Deprivation Index (ADI; deprivation), crime (threat), and dissimilarity and interaction index (segregation) with attention difficulties, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), and fluid and crystallized cognitive performance. School environment, neighborhood education child opportunity index, neighborhood cohesion, and access to green space were tested as moderators of the association of neighborhood adversity with outcomes. ResultsHigher access/quality of educational resources buffer the association of neighborhood deprivation with crystallized cognitive performance. Supportive school environments were associated with lower externalizing symptoms, particularly for youth in low threat contexts. Further, for racial/ethnic minority youth living in low-segregation neighborhoods, higher neighborhood access/quality of educational resources related to lower internalizing symptoms.ConclusionWhile adverse neighborhood environments are associated with higher psychopathology symptoms and lower cognitive performance, some aspects of neighborhoods may buffer this association. Understanding these patterns is necessary for informing structural interventions that might reduce disparities in mental health and cognitive function.