Mental health functioning and community problems

✍ Scribed by Michael S. Hendryx; Melissa M. Ahern

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 111 KB
• Volume: 25
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0090-4392
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6629(199703)25:2<147::aid-jcop4>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

This paper examines the relationship between self-reported mental health functioning and perceived community problems. Using linear regression and principal components analysis on data from a community survey of 1,826 residents, we find that mental health functioning is inversely related to perceptions of specific types of community problems such as poverty, racism, unemployment, and domestic violence. Individuals who live in geographic areas that have higher levels of these types of social problems are more likely to have low mental health functioning. We suggest that the quality of the larger community affects health by its impact on social relationships and on stress, and present a theoretical basis for understanding the importance of community.