The researchers revealed that inequality, among other socioeconomic factors, affects the emergence of mental illnesses, which underlines the urgency of including the environment as part of the elements to be addressed in mental health care.
United Kingdom, December 13 (TheConversation).- If you have ever stopped to think about why we suffer from certain diseasesparticularly those related to the mental healthsurely factors such as the geneticslas personal experiences or the consumption of certain substances.
But what if where we live also played a key role? We refer to the barrioto the calleto the area of the city in which we live our lives and which, surely, is highly conditioned by socioeconomic factors.
One of the most impactful mental pathologies are the first psychotic episodes. These are hallucinations, delusions, disorganized behaviors and even suicidal ideations associated with anxiety that usually manifest between the end of adolescence and age 30, and affect all areas of life. Therefore, its early detection would imply containing the consequences on the future job, training and, ultimately, the life project of the affected person.
Mapping the mental health of a city
A group of researchers asked ourselves the following question: could the address of our home determine whether we suffer, for example, a first psychotic episode? To find out, we analyze 106 patient cases who experienced it between 2016 and 2022 in the city of Albacete. All cases were collected through a specialized program at the Perpetuo Socorro Hospital in this town.
Your neighborhood and your street affect your mental health, as demonstrated by a study carried out by scientists from the @uclm_es:
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They were first located on the map and compared with 383 random controls. Such controls allow, among other things, to determine the areas with a higher population density and filter that effect on the number of psychotic episodes: if we did not do this, we would have more cases where more people live and we would not be able to determine if the factor we wanted to study was the culprit or not. This methodology allowed us to identify areas where the real risk was significantly higher.
The analysis not only focused on the geographic location of the patient’s home, but also took into account other individual risk factors already known, such as substance use. But what was novel here was the analysis of how socioeconomic and geographic factors can contribute to the appearance of a first psychotic episode.
Economic inequalities and gender
The results revealed that areas with lower incomes had significantly higher rates of incidence of that first episode. This shows that economic inequalities, far from being an isolated factor, exert an important influence on vulnerability to serious mental disorders, amplifying already existing gaps in mental health.
Furthermore, women in these areas emerged as a particularly vulnerable group, not only due to economic adversities, but also because they face an intersection of factors that aggravate their situation.
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This scenario highlights the urgent need to design and implement intervention approaches that are deeply sensitive to sex, recognizing the differentiated realities faced by the female population. Addressing this vulnerability with specific strategies is key to breaking the cycle of inequality and guaranteeing more equitable and effective mental health care, with special attention to the most disadvantaged areas of the city.
Spatial precision as a public health tool
The use of spatial statistical tools allowed data to be adjusted by population density, ensuring that the results reflected real risks and not simple population concentrations. This makes it possible to direct resources towards the most vulnerable areas with specific interventions, such as early detection programs or improving access to mental health services.
On the other hand, integrating tools such as cadastral mapping into future studies could provide an unprecedented level of precision to spatial analysis. Cadastral mapping, with its ability to provide detailed data on land use, building density and characteristics, resource distribution and demographic characteristics, provides a solid basis for accurately identifying the highest risk areas. This approach represents a paradigm shift, providing relevant evidence of the importance of considering the environment as a crucial element in mental health.
Towards an inclusive and sustainable model
Our study not only represents an academic advance, but can constitute a roadmap to design more equitable public policies focused on the real needs of communities. By connecting the dots between mental health, economic inequalities and urban planning, the fundamental role of the environment in the prevention and treatment of psychotic disorders is highlighted.
Because, as this work shows, where we live matters, but so does who we are and the inequalities we face. Addressing these structural disparities is not only a matter of justice, but a necessity to build a healthier, more equitable and sustainable future.
Preventing disorders such as the first psychotic episode should not be seen as an individual task, but as a collective effort that places women and the most vulnerable communities at the center of public health strategies.