Investigating the Relationship Between Neighborhood Experiences and Psychiatric Distress for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness

Abstract

The present study examined the relationships between how research participants experienced their neighborhood, their neighborhood social climate, and psychological well-being. Participants (n = 525) were residents of supported housing programs who used mental health services at one of 17 community mental health centers in South Carolina. Hierarchical regression and mediation analyses were employed to answer research questions. Results suggest that neighbor relations, perceptions of neighborhood safety, and neighborhood satisfaction were significantly associated with perceptions of neighborhood social climate; and neighborhood social climate accounted for a significant amount of the variance in psychiatric distress. Of particular interest, perceptions of neighborhood social climate fully mediated the relationship between the specific reported neighborhood experiences and psychiatric distress. These findings have implications for interventions and policy aimed at promoting integration of individuals with serious mental illness into community settings.

Mind Over Matter? The Role of Individual Perceptions in Understanding the Social Ecology of Housing Environments for Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities

“…For example, Kloos and Townley (2011) found that individuals who reported feeling safe in neighborhoods and perceiving a positive social climate (i.e., one that does not discriminate others based on race and is accepting of individuals with a mental illness diagnosis) reported less distress from psychiatric symptomatology. Numerous studies have demonstrated the important role that feeling safe and accepted has in the mental health recovery experiences of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.…”

The influence of sense of community on the relationship between community participation and mental health for individuals with serious mental illnesses

“…In particular, sense of community may play an important role in improving mental health for people with serious mental illnesses. For example, the more that individuals with serious mental illnesses feel that they belong in their neighborhoods and are accepted by neighbors, the less psychiatric distress they report (Kloos & Townley, ). Further, in a study conducted by Gulcur, Tsemberis, Stefanic, and Greenwood (2007), participants who experienced more psychological symptoms reported lower levels of sense of community.…”

Relación entre el funcionamiento de un hogar/residencia protegida para personas con trastorno mental severo, el apoyo social del cuidador y las habilidades de la vida diaria de los residentes

“…La vivienda ha dejado de ser exclusivamente un tema de bienestar social, sino más bien se considera un componente importante del tratamiento y de las políticas en salud mental 17 . La vivienda es una fuerza estabilizadora en la vida cotidiana que forma la base sobre la que una persona puede establecer una rutina diaria, por ello en Chile debe existir un cambio de modelo, desde uno centrado en los recursos disponibles a otro centrado en las necesidades de los usuarios.…”

“…Los programas residenciales son dispositivos generados para que vivan las personas con TMS. Estos proporcionan un marco normalizado donde se abordan las diferentes problemáticas del individuo, posibilitando una actuación integral y global, no centrada en la institución sino en las necesidades del usuario [15][16][17] . En estos lugares se fomenta la autonomía de las personas a través del desarrollo de sus habilidades sociales.…”