How a Sense of Neighborhood Cohesion Affects the Health of Diverse Californians With Needs for Long-Term Services and Supports

This fact sheet reports on social characteristics of neighborhoods as perceived by Californians with needs for long-term services and supports (LTSS). Authors detail how perceptions of neighborhood safety and trust vary by race or ethnicity and income and show how a sense of neighborhood cohesion (i.e., perceptions of neighborhood safety, neighbors’ willingness to help, and trust) may be an important driver of mental health for this population. The data presented were taken from the 2019–2020 California Long-Term Services and Supports (CA-LTSS) study, a follow-on survey of the 2019–2020 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

Findings: Most Californians with LTSS needs report high levels of neighborhood cohesion, but there are significant differences by racial/ethnic group. Significant differences in perceptions of neighborhood cohesion by income were also found. For Californians with LTSS needs, neighborhood cohesion may be an important driver of mental health.