A R T I C L E DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOOD INFLUENCES ON DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN YOUTH WITH PERINATALLY ACQUIRED HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS: HOW LIFE STRESSORS MATTER Ezer Kang Wheaton College, Department of Psychology Claude A. Mellins, Curtis Dolezal, and Katherine S. Elkington Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute Elaine J. Abrams Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health Children living with perinatal HIV illness (PHIV1) disproportionately reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods and contend with persistent mental health challenges. This study examined the influences of disadvantaged residential neighborhood on anxiety and depression, and potential resources that buffer against internalizing problems when youths were exposed to neighborhood stressors. Multilevel analysis of 196 PHIV1 and 129 perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected youth (PHIV) in New York City found that higher exposure to neighborhood disorder was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety for PHIV1 and PHIV youths. Stressful events unrelated to residential neighborhoods significantly mediated the relationship between neighbor- hood disorder and anxiety and depression. Social problem solving and This work was supported by three grants from the National Institute of Mental Health: R01-MH069133 (PI: Claude Mellins, PhD), P30 MH43520 (Center PI: A.A. Ehrhardt, PhD), and T32 MH19139 Behavioral Sciences Research in HIV Infection (PI: A.A. Ehrhardt, PhD). Correspondence to: Ezer Kang, Wheaton College, Department of Psychology, 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. E-mail: ezer.kang@wheaton.edu JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Vol. 39, No. 8, 956–971 (2011) Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jcop). & 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1002/jcop.20483