Neighborhood Disorder, Work Proximity, and Psychological Distress

• In Event: 509 - Section on Medical Sociology Paper Session. Health Inequalities and Place

Abstract

Studies have been conducted to show that tenure in a disorderly neighborhood lead to distress. Can time outside of a neighborhood buffer this affect? Using the Women, Children, and Families Project (WCF), we test the effects of traveling to work from structurally disadvantaged areas on mental distress. Focusing on Wave 2 of the WCF, our multivariate analysis finds that the main effect of commuting increases distress; however the interaction is negative indicating that commuting buffers the effect of being in a disorderly neighborhood. Therefore, although traveling long distances can be stressful; the added time may be helpful for disconnecting from the stress of a disorderly neighborhood.

Authors

• Anna Weller Jacobs, Vanderbilt University

• Jennifer Brailsford, Florida State University