The Role of Individual and Neighborhood Characteristics on Mental Health after a Period of Economic Crisis in the Lisbon Region (Portugal): A Multilevel Analysis

Abstract

Mental health is an intrinsic dimension of health influenced by individual and contextual factors. This cross-sectional study analyzes the association between the individual, neighborhood characteristics, and one's self-assessed mental health status in the Lisbon region after an economic crisis. Via the application of multilevel regression models, the study assesses the link between one's neighborhood environment-deprivation, low self-assessed social capital, and low self-assessed satisfaction with the area of residence-and mental health regardless of one's individual characteristics. Constraints related to the economic crisis play an important role in the explanation of poor mental health.