This NINR-funded study examined the contribution of neighborhood characteristics to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive symptom severity in Black males following serious injury. Researchers found that in a cohort of Black men living in Philadelphia who had been hospitalized for traumatic injury, neighborhood disconnectedness (the absence of strong social ties among residents) was associated with depressive symptom severity; and crime, violence, and vacant properties were associated with PTSD symptom severity. This study expands understanding about post-injury psychological symptom severity beyond individual factors by considering the impacts of physical and social environment.
Bruce MM, Robinson AJ, Wiebe DJ, Shults J, Richmond TS. The Contribution of Neighborhood Characteristics to Psychological Symptom Severity in a Cohort of Injured Black Men. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2022 Sep 9. doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01407-2. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36085354.