From Childhood to Adulthood: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Social Environments and Psychological Well-Being in Predominantly Black American Urban Communities

Abstract

Neighborhood environments may significantly impact psychological well-being, particularly in Black American communities where historical inequities and resilience factors intersect. This mixed-methods study investigates retrospective perceptions of childhood and current neighborhood social environments and their associations with loneliness and psychological distress in adulthood. Data were drawn from the Think PHRESH study, an ancillary project to the Pittsburgh Hill/Homewood Research on Neighborhood Change and Health (PHRESH). A mixed-methods design integrated survey data from 739 participants (77.5% female; mean age = 63.37) and qualitative interviews with 56 residents (60.7% female; mean age = 65.95). Measures assessed childhood and adulthood neighborhood social cohesion, collective child-rearing, current neighborhood safety, satisfaction, loneliness, and distress. A mixed-methods expansion approach was used, where qualitative themes informed quantitative model development. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data, and regression analyses examined associations between neighborhood factors and mental health. Participants reported significantly higher childhood social cohesion (M = 4.47, SD = 0.70) than adulthood (M = 3.22, SD = 0.69). Qualitative findings highlighted declines in community engagement and safety. Regression analyses showed greater current social cohesion (b = −0.61, SE = 0.25, p = 0.02), neighborhood safety (b = −0.48, SE = 0.21, p = 0.02), and satisfaction (b = −0.55, SE = 0.18, p = 0.002) were associated with lower distress, while higher satisfaction was linked to lower loneliness (b = −0.08, SE = 0.03, p = 0.002). Findings highlight the importance of policies that enhance neighborhood social environments, particularly in predominantly Black urban communities affected by structural inequities.