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

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

Claudia Helmert  1 , Sven Speerforck  1 , Toni Fleischer  1 , Danielle Otten  2 , Christoph Kasinger  2 , Elmar Brähler  2   3 , Holger Muehlan  4 , Laura Altweck  4 , Stefanie Hahm  4 , Silke Schmidt  4 , Matthias Reusche  5 , Heide Glaesmer  6 , Andreas Hinz  6 , Nigar Reyes  5 , Kerstin Wirkner  6   7 , Christoph Engel  5 , Georg Schomerus  1 , Christine Ulke  1
Affiliations

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

Claudia Helmert et al. Front Public Health. .

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.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Joint Correspondence Analysis depicting sum scale on the desire for social distance toward people with mental illness, Leipzig’s exemplary districts (City center, Heiterblick, Connewitz, Gohlis-North, and Grünau-North), SES, age, life-orientation scales including dichotomized optimism and pessimism scales, dichotomized ENRICHD-Social-Support-Instrument, duration of living in Leipzig, and shame of having a mental illness based on LIFE data (n = 521).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Joint Correspondence Analysis including single items on desire for social distance toward colleagues, neighbors, and subtenants with mental illness, Leipzig’s exemplary districts (City center, Heiterblick, Connewitz, Gohlis-North, and Grünau-North), SES, age, life-orientation scales including dichotomized optimism and pessimism scales, dichotomized ENRICHD-Social-Support-Instrument, duration of living in Leipzig, and shame of having a mental illness based on LIFE-data (n = 521).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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