Relationships between the neighborhood environment and depression in older adults.

What is it about?

The neighborhood we live in has been shown to be associated with health-related outcomes such as active travel and cognitive health in older adults. Our review found the evidence supports associations between depression in older adults and neighborhood socio-economic status, collective efficacy and personal safety.

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Why is it important?

The prevalence of depressive symptoms is high in older adults. While there are effective treatments for depression, globally less than 50% receive treatment. Neighborhood charcteristics, such as those we found to be associated wth depression, can potentially affect large populations for a sustained amount of time. This is especially critical for aging populations who typically spend more time in their neighborhood and are vulnerable to environmental challenges. More work on physical environment associations is needed.