Neighborhood Disadvantage, Stress, and Drug Use among Adults

TLDR

The study examines how neighborhood disadvantage and stress influence drug use among 1,101 adults. The authors used the 1995 Detroit Area Study linked to 1990 census tract data to analyze the association between neighborhood disadvantage and drug use, controlling for individual socioeconomic status. Neighborhood disadvantage is positively associated with drug use, partly mediated by increased social stressors and psychological distress, with a residual effect after controlling for many social variables, and the effect is strongest among low‑income individuals.

Abstract

This paper explores the relationships among neighborhood disadvantage, stress, and the likelihood of drug use in a sample of adults (N = 1,101). Using the 1995 Detroit Area Study in conjunction with tract-level data from the 1990 census, we find a positive relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and drug use, and this relationship remains statistically significant net of controls for individual-level socioeconomic status. Neighborhood disadvantage is moderately associated with drug related behaviors, indirectly through increased social stressors and higher levels of psychological distress among residents of disadvantaged neighborhoods. A residual effect of neighborhood disadvantage remains, net of a large number of socially relevant controls. Finally, results from interactive models suggest that the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and drug use is most pronounced among individuals with lower incomes.