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Special Section on Social Integration
Published Online: 1 May 2012

Objective Community Integration of Mental Health Consumers Living in Supported Housing and of Others in the Community

Abstract

Objective:

Housing programs for people with severe mental illnesses aim to maximize community integration. However, little is known about how the community integration of mental health consumers living in supported housing compares with that of other community residents in the socially disadvantaged communities where supported housing is often located. The purpose of this study was to examine predictors of objective community integration of mental health consumers living in supported housing and of other persons living in the same communities.

Methods:

Participants were 124 adults (60 mental health consumers and 64 other community residents) residing in designated zip codes in the Bronx, New York. Participants were administered measures of psychiatric symptoms, substance use, physical community integration (participation in local activities), social integration (interactions with community members), and citizenship (political activism or volunteering).

Results:

Mental health consumers living in supported independent housing had significantly lower scores on indicators of objective community integration than other community members. However, differences were relatively small. Among mental health consumers, African-American race, education, and length of time in current residence were associated with better community integration.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that mental health consumers living in supported housing may not achieve levels of objective community integration that are comparable with other community members; however, psychiatric factors did not account for this difference. Length of time in neighborhoods appears to be an important factor in facilitating social integration. (Psychiatric Services 63:438–444, 2012; doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201100397)

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Table 1 Demographic characteristics of mental health consumers living in supported housing and of other community members
Table 2 Community integration and clinical status of mental health consumers living in supported housing and of other community members
Table 3 Correlations between community integration and demographic, housing, and clinical variables for 60 mental health consumers living in supported housing
Table 4 Correlations between community integration and demographic, housing, and clinical variables of 64 persons in the community sample

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Psychiatric Services
Go to Psychiatric Services
Psychiatric Services
Pages: 438 - 444
PubMed: 22549530

History

Published online: 1 May 2012
Published in print: May 2012

Authors

Details

Philip T. Yanos, Ph.D. [email protected]
Dr. Yanos is affiliated with the Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice-City University of New York, 524 W. 59th St., New York, NY 10019 (e-mail: [email protected]).
Ana Stefancic, M.A.
Ms. Stefancic and Dr. Tsemberis are with Pathways to Housing, Inc., New York City. This article is part of a special section on social integration of persons with mental illness, for which Robert A. Rosenheck, M.D., served as guest editor.
Sam Tsemberis, Ph.D.
Ms. Stefancic and Dr. Tsemberis are with Pathways to Housing, Inc., New York City. This article is part of a special section on social integration of persons with mental illness, for which Robert A. Rosenheck, M.D., served as guest editor.

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