Explorative analyses on spatial differences in the desire for social distance toward people with mental illness in a diverging city

Front Public Health. 2023 Nov 9:11:1260118. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1260118. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Introduction: Stigma is an individual and societal process based on attitudes and power and relates to both spatial disparities and social distinction. In this study, we examined differences in desire for social distance toward people with mental illness within a city using social and spatial information.

Methods: ANOVAs and Scheffé post-hoc tests analyzed varying desires for social distance toward people with mental illness within Leipzig (East Germany). Joint Correspondence Analyses (JCA) explored correspondences between desire for social distance, socio-economic status, age, life orientation, social support, duration of living in Leipzig, and shame toward having a mental illness in five city districts of Leipzig in LIFE study participants (by Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Disease, data collected 2011-2014 and 2018-2021, n = 521).

Results: Stigma varied among Leipzig's districts (F(df = 4) = 4.52, p = 0.001). JCAs showed that a higher desired social distance toward people with mental illness corresponded with spatial differences, high levels of pessimism, high shame of being mentally ill, low social support, low socio-economic status, and older age (75.74 and 81.22% explained variances).

Conclusion: In terms of stigma, where people with mental illness live matters. The results identified target groups that should be addressed by appropriate intervention and prevention strategies for mental health care.

Keywords: joint correspondence analysis; mental health; public mental health; social distance; stigma; stigmatization; urban.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Mental Disorders*
  • Psychological Distance
  • Social Stigma
  • Stereotyping*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The preparation of this article was funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF; grant number: 01UJ1911EY) in context of the project DDR-PSYCH. The sponsor had no role in the design of the study, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of the report, or the decision to submit this article for publication. LIFE is funded by means of the European Union, by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and by means of the Free State of Saxony within the framework of the excellence initiative.