Objective Neighborhood-Level Disorder Versus Subjective Safety as Predictors of HIV Transmission Risk and Momentary Well-Being.

Mental health and HIV risk behavior have been studied with ecological momentary assessment (EMA), but this approach has not been combined with tracking of activity space (where people go and what they encounter there) in people with HIV and their social relations, who may be HIV+ or HIV-. Activity space represents a modifiable risk or protective factor for behavior related to health status and quality of life, in both clinical and nonclinical populations. We conducted an observational study with 286 participants (243 HIV+ and 43 HIV-), roughly matched for socioeconomic status and neighborhood of residence via three waves of snowball sampling.

Health Outcomes by Neighborhood (HON): Effects of Neighborhood, Social Instability, and Health Factors on 12-Month Trajectories of Substance-Use Disorder Symptoms.

Background: Previous studies have shown that environment and health can influence drug use trajectories and the effects of substance use disorder (SUD) treatments. We hypothesized that trajectories of drug use-related problems, based on changes in DSM-5 symptoms, would vary by type(s) of drugs used, health factors, and neighborhood characteristics.

Methods: We assessed mental and physical health, stress, social instability, neighborhood characteristics (disorderliness and home value), and DSM-5 symptom counts at two study visits, 12 months apart, in a community sample (baseline  = 735) in Baltimore, MD.

Perceptions of Neighborhood Mediate the Relationship Between PTSD Symptoms and Coping in a Neighborhood-Matched Substance-Using Sample.

Objectives: People with substance use problems living in neighborhoods with high levels of disorder are disproportionately likely to experience trauma and develop PTSD symptoms. We sought to evaluate the relationships between objective neighborhood disorder, perceptions of neighborhood, and the use of maladaptive coping behaviors among both non-substance-using and substance-using participants with and without PTSD symptoms.

Methods: Participants (255 non-drug users [NDUs], 168 marijuana and/or alcohol users [MAUs], and 273 opioid and/or stimulant users) completed the Addiction Severity Index, PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version, The COPE Inventory, and the Perceived Neighborhood Scale.