Peer-reviewed article
Unlocking the Power of Neighborhood Collective Efficacy: Associations with ADHD and Youth Outcomes Among Black and White Adolescents
Cathrin D. Green, Elizabeth S. M. Chan, Sydney E. Padgett, James Peugh, Melissa R. Dvorsky et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looked at how neighborhood collective efficacy (how connected and willing to help each other neighbors are) and ADHD status relate to wellbeing and school outcomes among 2,178 Black and White adolescents aged 14-19 in the United States. It used data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study and compared adolescent and caregiver reports of the neighborhood. The links between neighborhood, ADHD and outcomes differed by racial group. The authors say social and cultural context should be considered when designing interventions to support Black youth.
Key points
- Adolescent and caregiver reports of neighborhood collective efficacy were only weakly correlated, so both views are worth collecting.
- ADHD was associated with lower engagement and higher happiness among White adolescents, but not among Black adolescents.
- Higher neighborhood collective efficacy was associated with greater perseverance among White adolescents, but not among Black adolescents.
- ADHD was associated with greater trouble in school.
- Neither racial group nor informant rating of collective efficacy was significantly associated with school suspensions, and no interactions emerged for suspensions.
Limitations
The abstract describes associations only, so it cannot show that neighborhood collective efficacy or ADHD causes the outcomes. It covers only Black and White adolescents in one US study and gives no detail on why the patterns differ between groups.
Abstract
Abstract This study examined the associations of neighborhood collective efficacy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) status with psychosocial and academic outcomes among Black and White adolescents. Using a sample of 2,178 adolescents (ages 14–19; 73.0% Black, 27.0% White) from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we investigated how adolescent- and caregiver-reported neighborhood collective efficacy, and its interactions with racial group and ADHD status, were associated with wellbeing and school-related outcomes. Adolescent- and caregiver-reported neighborhood collective efficacy were weakly correlated, suggesting the importance of examining both perspectives. Significant racial group × ADHD interactions emerged in relation to engagement and happiness: ADHD was associated with lower engagement and higher happiness among White adolescents, but these associations were not observed among Black adolescents. In both caregiver- and adolescent-reported models, significant racial group × neighborhood collective efficacy interactions were observed for perseverance, such that higher neighborhood collective efficacy was associated with greater perseverance among White adolescents, but not among Black adolescents. ADHD was also associated with greater trouble in school. Neither racial group nor informant’s rating of neighborhood collective efficacy was significantly associated with school suspensions, and no significant interactions emerged for suspension outcomes. Among Black and White adolescents in the present sample, these findings suggest that associations between neighborhood context, ADHD status, and psychosocial and academic outcomes differed across groups, underscoring the importance of considering social and cultural context when developing interventions to support Black youth.