Evaluating the impact of a locality based social policy intervention on mental health: Conceptual and methodological issues

Urban regeneration initiatives provide an opportunity for examining the impact of changes in socio-economic circumstances on the mental health of different groups and individuals within localities. This paper sets out the conceptual and methodological bases for evaluating the impact of a population based social policy intervention on mental health. We suggest the need to integrate a range of disciplinary and methodological developments in research on health inequalities in exploring the impact of urban regeneration on mental health. A combination of multi-level modelling, subjective indicators and narrative accounts of individuals about mental health in the context of locality and personal changes are central for developing theories and methods appropriate for exploring the action and interaction of effects operating between structural and individual/agency levels.