Mason, Kate E 
ORCID: 0000-0001-5020-5256, Alexiou, Alexandros, Li, Ang and Taylor-Robinson, David ORCID: 0000-0002-5828-7724
(2024)
The impact of housing insecurity on mental health, sleep and hypertension: analysis of the UK Household Longitudinal Study and linked data, 2009-2019
Social Science & Medicine, 351.
p. 116939.
ISSN 0277-9536, 1873-5347
Abstract
Background: Housing insecurity is an escalating problem in the UK but there is limited evidence about its health impacts. Using nationally representative panel data and causally focussed methods, we examined the effect of insecure housing on mental health, sleep and blood pressure, during a period of government austerity. Methods: We used longitudinal survey data (2009–2019, n = 11,164 individuals with annual data) from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Outcomes were probable common mental disorder (GHQ-12), sleep disturbance due to worry, and new diagnoses of hypertension. The primary exposure was housing payment problems in the past year. Using doubly robust marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment weights, we estimated absolute and relative health effects of housing payment problems, and population attributable fractions. In stratified analyses we assessed potentially heterogeneous impacts across the population, and potential modifying effects of government austerity measures. A negative control analysis was conducted to detect bias due to unmeasured confounding. Results: Housing payment problems were associated with a 2.5 percentage point increased risk of experiencing a common mental disorder (95% CI 1.1%, 3.8%) and 2.0% increased risk of sleep disturbance (95% CI 0.7%, 3.3%). Estimates were larger for renters, younger people, less educated, households with children, and people living in areas most affected by austerity-related cuts to housing support services. We did not find consistent evidence for an association with hypertension (risk difference = 0.4%; 95% CI -0.1%, 0.9%). The negative control analysis was not indicative of unmeasured confounding. Conclusions: Housing payment problems were associated with worse mental health and sleep disturbance in a large UK sample. Households at risk of falling into rent or mortgage arrears need more support, especially in areas where housing support services have been diminished. Substantial investment is urgently needed to improve supply of social and affordable housing.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Humans, Hypertension, Longitudinal Studies, Mental Health, Mental Disorders, Housing, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Middle Aged, Female, Male, Sleep Wake Disorders, United Kingdom |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Population Health |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 14 May 2024 10:17 |
| Last Modified: | 23 May 2026 08:45 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116939 |
| Open Access URL: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/... |
| Related Websites: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3180933 |
| Disclaimer: | The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate. |
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