Parks, libraries, recreation centers, and sidewalks, ideally, would serve to improve the quality of living for residents, but it is not that simple, especially for youth. Research by Melissa Villodas, whose work focuses on understanding how social determinants of health impact the mental health of vulnerable young people, reveals that the relationship between neighborhood amenities and youth mental health is much more complex.
"The mere presence of neighborhood amenities may not be enough of a protective factor for the mental health of young people from diverse backgrounds, as we recognize that youth from different backgrounds may navigate neighborhood spaces differently due to unfair systems of racism and oppression," said Villodas, assistant professor of social work at George Mason University.
With a focus on low-income families, Villodas used national data that captured parent reports of depression and anxiety among their adolescents aged 14-17 to investigate whether the presence of neighborhood amenities was associated with different mental health outcomes. She concluded that neighborhood amenities were linked to mental health in various ways across differing racial and ethnic groups.
Villodas observed that Hispanic and Black youth had higher rates of anxiety when living in neighborhoods with sidewalks compared to White youth. Villodas outlines theories that suggest it is not necessarily the amenity causing poor mental health, but how youth perceive and interact with it.
"While neighborhood parks tend to positively influence mental health, our findings suggest external factors may shape youth's experiences in these spaces. For example, Hispanic youth might be hyper-vigilant in public spaces that traditionally support mental health due to anti-immigration policies and concerns about family members being deported within these spaces. Under these circumstances, access to parks may not function optimally as a protective factor."
Youth who identified as multiracial were more likely to experience depression when they reported living in areas with recreation centers, and Hispanic youth showed higher odds of depression in neighborhoods with parks. On the other hand, multiracial youth living in areas with more sidewalks were less likely to experience depression.
Villodas's study focuses on understanding how neighborhood amenities relate to the mental health of youth living with limited resources. By honing in on populations with limited financial resources, her work can lead to more targeted and meaningful recommendations for improving youth mental health on the community level.
"It is important we recognize how the presence of neighborhood amenities may shape youth mental health both for better and for worse. Because of this, our findings can offer a starting point for prioritizing youth-centered design considerations across neighborhood amenities that support the mental health of all youth," said Villodas. "Community investments in neighborhood amenities can support youth mental health, but require diverse youth voices to achieve equitable outcomes."
Exploring associations between neighborhood amenities and mental health: Insights from parent reports of older youth in low-income households was published in December 2025 in Wellbeing, Space & Society.
About the researcher
Melissa Villodas is a researcher who believes context matters – this includes both the context of our environments and the context shaped by diverse experiences across sociodemographic factors. Her core research value centers the person-in-environment perspective to more innovatively and effectively improve mental health.
