Study: Safer, Walkable Neighborhoods May Improve Latinos’ Mental Health

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Older Latinos who perceive their neighborhoods as safer and more walkable are less likely to develop severe depressive symptoms, according to a new study, Healio reports.

The study, published in the Journal of Aging and Health, examined 570 Latinos in Los Angeles and found that 27.7% of the 570 Latinos in the study had elevated depressive symptoms.

After adjustments, those with lower perceived crime and greater walkability had a 0.9 times lower likelihood of elevated depressive symptoms.

Older adults may be “especially sensitive to neighborhood climate issues because their limited mobility and physical frailty exacerbate feelings of vulnerability to negative forces in their environments,” said study author Dr. Rosalba Hernandez, a professor of social work at the University of Illinois, in a press release.

The findings, according to the press release, suggest that addressing safety concerns within local neighborhoods enhances the psychological well-being and quality of life of elderly residents.

Providing interventions at the neighborhood and local government levels may be more cost-effective than individual-level therapies, Hernandez said.

“Latinos are going to be the largest ethnic minority very soon, and the aging population in the U.S. is growing as well,” Hernandez said. “If we can potentially intervene before all these comorbidities and chronic illnesses converge, we can avert a potential health care crisis.”