Neighborhood-specific and general social support: Which buffers the effect of neighborhood disorder on depression?

Abstract

Is neighborhood-specific social support the most effective type of social support for buffering the effect of neighborhood disorder on depression? Matching theory suggests that it is. The authors extend the research on neighborhood disorder and adult depression by showing that individuals who have higher levels of both general and neighborhood-specific social relationships, measured by social support and neighborhood social ties, are less vulnerable to negative effects of neighborhood disorder. Using the Community, Crime, and Health Survey, the authors found that neighborhood disorder's association with depression is lower for people with supportive social ties with neighbors and for people with more general social support. The latter conditional effect is stronger than the former, indicating that support in which the source of support matches the source of strain is not more effective than general support at buffering the effects of neighborhood strain. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.