The role of daily mobility in mental health inequalities: The interactive influence of activity space and neighbourhood of residence on depression

Julie Vallée, Emmanuelle Cadot, Christelle Roustit, Isabelle Parizot and Pierre Chauvin

Social Science & Medicine, 2011, vol. 73, issue 8, 1133-1144

Abstract: The literature reports an association between neighbourhood deprivation and individual depression after adjustment for individual factors. The present paper investigates whether vulnerability to neighbourhood features is influenced by individual “activity space” (i.e., the space within which people move about or travel in the course of their daily activities). It can be assumed that a deprived residential environment can exert a stronger influence on the mental health of people whose activity space is limited to their neighbourhood of residence, since their exposure to their neighbourhood would be greater. Moreover, we studied the relationship between activity space size and depression. A limited activity space could indeed reflect spatial and social confinement and thus be associated with a higher risk of being depressed, or, conversely, it could be linked to a deep attachment to the neighbourhood of residence and thus be associated with a lower risk of being depressed.

Keywords: France; Activity space; Daily mobility; Neighbourhood exposure; Cross-level interaction; Mental health; Depression (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:73:y:2011:i:8:p:1133-1144

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.08.009

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