Neighbourhood identification and mental health: How social identification moderates the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and health

Locational disadvantage has negative effects on mental health, with research showing that low (vs. high) neighbourhood socioeconomic-status (SES) predicts worse outcomes. Perceived neighbourhood quality is a well-established mediator of this association. The present paper extends this analysis, focusing on the contribution of residents’ social identification with their neighbourhood. In particular, it tests a model in which this neighbourhood identification both attenuates the effect of neighbourhood SES via perceived neighbourhood quality, and has a direct positive effect on mental health. Study 1 tested this hypothesized dual-effect neighbourhood identification model using a large nationally representative dataset (N = 14,874). Study 2 used a novel experimental design (N = 280) to investigate the causal effects of neighbourhood SES and neighbourhood identification on mental health. In line with the hypothesized model, in both studies, high neighbourhood identification attenuated the effects of neighbourhood SES on perceived neighbourhood quality, and neighbourhood identification had a direct positive impact on mental health. Additionally, and consistent with previous research, both studies also showed that perceived neighbourhood quality was the means through which neighbourhood SES affected mental health. The novel and far-reaching implications of neighbourhood identification for community mental health are discussed.