Social Determinants of Anxiety, Worry, and Depression Among Adults in Detroit: Differential Associations Across...

Social determinants of health play a significant role in driving mental health disparities, yet comparatively little is understood about whether these factors affect different forms of psychological distress in distinct ways. Using data from Wave 12 of the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (N = 2,238), this study examined associations between selected social determinants and self-reported anxiety, worry, and depression among Detroit adults. Outcomes reflected symptom frequency over the prior seven days. Separate survey- weighted ordinal logistic regression models were estimated for each outcome, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment, health insurance, and neighborhood satisfaction. Interaction terms between age and gender and between race/ethnicity and education were also evaluated. Nearly half of respondents reported at least one day of anxiety, worry, or depression in the preceding week, with anxiety being the most frequently reported mental health indicator, followed by worry and depression. Older age and greater neighborhood satisfaction were consistently associated with lower odds of distress across all models. Higher income was associated with reduced odds of worry and depression, while recent employment was linked to lower odds of worry. Initial gender differences diminished after adjusting for socioeconomic and contextual factors. Some interaction effects suggested that the relationship between educational attainment and mental health varied across racial and ethnic groups, though these findings require cautious interpretation due to model convergence limitations. These results highlight the importance of neighborhood and socioeconomic conditions in shaping mental health within historically marginalized urban communities, and point to the need for place-based and equity-focused approaches to addressing psychological distress.