Growing up during neighbourhood change: The impacts of urban regeneration on the psychosocial health of young people in South East London

This study will examine the effects of urban regeneration understood as a process of neighborhood change on two aspects of psychosocial health -common mental disorders (CMD) and wellbeing- of young people in South East London. Using mixed methods and participatory action research with young people as co-researchers to explore how they experience neighborhood transformation.

Mental health in young people is of concern, with half of lifetime mental health problems starting by age 14 (Smith et al, 2015b). CMD such as depression and anxiety have higher prevalence in urban environments (Hatch et al, 2011;). There is evidence on socio-economic determinants of psychosocial health showing that disadvantage over life course is linked to poor health. It is less clear whether aspects of physical and social environments at neighbourhood-level also affect the risk of CMD (Polling, 2014). In the UK, studies investigating the health and wellbeing impacts of regeneration are rare and offer mixed findings (Thomson et al, 2006; Smith et al, 2012; Huxley and Roger, 2006). These commonly exclude young people under the age of 16 (Smith et al, 2015a).

South East London has widespread regeneration programmes underway, higher eviction rates than the national average and 24.2% of the adult population reporting CMD (Lees and White, 2016; Hatch et al, 2011). The study will be supported by the South East London Community Health Study (SELCoH), providing local longitudinal quantitative data.

Methodology: The study will conduct a quantitative analysis using SELCoH data and undertake qualitative participatory action research. Participatory Action Research helps to introduce a flexible, collaborative and socially owned process (Kindon, Pain & Kesby, 2007) that will provide a platform for young people to voice their opinions on designing and managing sustainable neighbourhood change.

Aim 1a. To perform a critical review of literature related to urban regeneration and the influence of neighborhood spatial, built, environmental and social features on mental health and wellbeing;

Aim 1b. To examine national and local regeneration policies, plans, aims and features that shape and influence regeneration in South East London;

Aim 2. To investigate the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and CMD, and to examine how they vary by age and across areas; This will involve secondary data analysis on longitudinal data from SELCoH. The SELCoH study is an UK psychiatric and physical morbidity survey of 1698 adults, aged 16 years and over residing in 1075 randomly selected households in the boroughs of Southwark and Lambeth (2008-2010). Initial descriptive analyses will be performed, accounting for clustering by household. Multinomial and logistic regression models will be used to estimate the associations between neighbourhood characteristics and CMD and how they vary by age. Using full postcode data available for each household, analysis will use multilevel logistic regression models to account for hierarchical nature of the data.


Aim 3. To explore how young people perceive, negotiate and experience regeneration as a process of neighbourhood change and its impacts on their psychosocial health; 6 young people aged 16 - 18 will be recruited as co-researchers to design and deliver a participatory action research project over 12 months, participating in workshops, research methods training. 40 aged 14 - 18 will be recruited to participate in 4 group sessions delivered by the co-researchers. Co-researchers will collaborate in analysis and coding to identify key findings. Data will be analysed using discourse and content analysis methods and coded using emerging themes and sub-themes that relate to the research questions. A thematic framework will be developed, using existing theories and literature as a basis to analyse the data. Co-researchers will present their findings to participating organisations or community actors.