Aging, Neighborhoods, and Mental Health

Depressive symptoms are among the most prevalent mental health challenges affecting older adults worldwide, with profound consequences for quality of life, functional ability, and community participation. Although scholars increasingly recognize that neighborhood context shapes mental health, existing literature has rarely provided a comprehensive examination of how structural disadvantage, perceived disorder, and interpersonal social support operate simultaneously in later life. Aging, Neighborhoods, and Mental Health addresses this gap by offering an integrated analysis of how urban environments influence depressive symptoms among older adults. Drawing on social disorganization theory and stress process theory, this book examines four key neighborhood stressors: poverty, racial and ethnic composition, residential instability, and perceived disorder. It moves beyond conventional deficit models by investigating not only structural conditions but also subjective perceptions and the role of social support from spouses, children, relatives, and friends. Through rigorous empirical analysis, the findings reveal complex and sometimes counterintuitive dynamics. For example, higher neighborhood poverty rates are not uniformly associated with worse mental health outcomes in this urban population, challenging long-standing assumptions about neighborhood effects. By demonstrating the independent and protective role of interpersonal social support, this book reframes how scholars and practitioners understand resilience in disadvantaged communities. It contributes to gerontological social work, urban studies, and public policy by identifying vulnerable populations and outlining evidence-based strategies to strengthen social infrastructure in later life. Ultimately, the book argues that mental health in aging cities cannot be understood through physical conditions alone. Instead, it must be examined through the relational networks that sustain emotional well-being.