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Household overcrowding trajectories and mental well-being
Jaime Ruiz-Tagle1, Ignacio Urria1
1Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Chile, Diagonal Paraguay 257, 8330015, Santiago, Chile.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|February 8, 2022
Summary
Increased household overcrowding, particularly due to fewer bedrooms, is linked to more depressive symptoms. This highlights the need for housing policies to prevent and reduce overcrowding for better mental health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Housing conditions and overcrowding are known determinants of physical and mental health.
- Limited research exists on the dynamic relationship between housing density and mental health in Latin America.
- Housing issues remain a significant policy concern in low- and middle-income countries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between changes in household overcrowding and depressive symptoms in Chile.
- To examine the dynamic relationship between housing density and mental health over a three-year period.
- To inform housing policies in Latin America.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a nationally representative panel dataset of 10,024 Chilean households (2006-2009).
- Assessed variation in household overcrowding by changes in household size or housing conditions (bedrooms).
- Measured depressive symptoms using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) in 2009.
Main Results:
- An increase in household overcrowding, specifically a reduction in available bedrooms, was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.
- Constant or decreasing household overcrowding trajectories were not significantly associated with changes in depressive symptoms.
- An asymmetric relationship between household density and mental health was observed over the three-year study window.
Conclusions:
- Rising household overcrowding negatively impacts mental health, indicated by increased depressive symptoms.
- Preventive housing policies addressing overcrowding are crucial for improving population mental well-being.
- Policies should focus on both reducing existing overcrowding and preventing its increase.
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