Feeling safe: a critical look at the effect of neighborhood safety features and perceptions on childhood symptoms of depression.

Background: Physical characteristics and perceptions of an environment can have enduring effects on one's mental health. The present study aimed to determine whether a set of measures of neighborhood safety - independent built environment features, parents' perception of neighborhood safety and community cohesion, and children's perception of neighborhood safety - best related to symptoms of depression in young boys and girls from Montréal, Québec.

Methods: Data were from the Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort. Participants were aged 8 to 10 years (M = 9.5) at baseline (2005). Measures included: child symptoms of depression, neighborhood perception (child and parentally reported), and independent rater assessed visible disorder/neighborhood safety issues and road safety features. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the relation between neighborhood safety measures and symptoms of depression for boys (n = 262) and girls (n = 212) at baseline and at follow-up time approximately 2 years later in 2008 after adjusting for baseline sex, age, body mass index, pubertal status, physical activity, family income, parent education, population density, and land-use mix. Analyses were sex stratified.

Results: Greater child perceived safety was associated with lower symptoms of depression in boys at both baseline and follow-up, and greater community cohesion was associated with lower symptoms of depression in girls at baseline. These results were not maintained after adjusting for multiple testing.

Conclusion: Future research should elucidate the more precise pathways linking neighborhood safety to symptoms of depression among children and consider differences across sexes.