The Role of Neighborhood Factors and Community Stigma in Predicting Community Participation Among Persons With Psychiatric Disabilities.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the association between neighborhood characteristics, stigma related to mental illness reported by local community members, and measures of perceived stigma and community participation among individuals with psychiatric disabilities living in independent scattered-site housing or in congregate housing in three neighborhoods in the New York City metropolitan area.


METHODS
Neighborhood characteristics were drawn from the 2010 U.S. Census. Surveys focusing on attitudes and intended behavior toward people with mental illness were administered to 608 general community members, and clinical interviews were conducted with 343 persons with psychiatric disabilities.


RESULTS
Of neighborhood characteristics, both greater socioeconomic disadvantage and more "suburban values" (lower housing density and greater political conservativism) predicted more perpetrated stigma reported by community members. There was no significant relationship between stigma reported by community members and perceived stigma among participants with psychiatric disabilities. Community stigma predicted vocational involvement and demonstrated interaction effects with housing, such that persons living in congregate housing demonstrated more community participation in communities with more stigma, whereas persons living in scattered-site housing demonstrated less participation in these communities. Perceived stigma was significantly negatively related to community participation.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that effects of neighborhood characteristics and community stigma on people with psychiatric disabilities are complex and are partly conditioned by housing context.
['Gonzales|Lauren|L|', 'Yanos|Philip T|PT|', 'Stefancic|Ana|A|', 'Alexander|Mary Jane|MJ|', 'Harney-Delehanty|Brianna|B|']
D000328:Adult D003256:Community Participation D005260:Female D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice D006798:Housing D006801:Humans D008297:Male D001523:Mental Disorders D028642:Mentally Ill Persons D008875:Middle Aged D009519:New York City D012111:Residence Characteristics D012114:Residential Treatment D057545:Social Stigma
Neighborhood Stigma Community Participation