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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Allison Zippay, PhD, Social Work, Rutgers University, 536 George Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, 732-932-3453, zippay@rci.rutgers.edu

This paper reports the results of telephone interviews with 1,300 neighbors of psychiatric housing to examine their perceptions of the impact of the residences on neighborhood quality of life. It is estimated that up to 50% of neighborhoods protest the initial development of community-based psychiatric housing, in a response referred to as NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard). Those protests typically focus on quality of life concerns, including potential declines in safety and property values. To foster positive neighborhood relations, some mental health administrators notify neighbors in advance of the siting of psychiatric housing, conducting outreach aimed at dispelling concerns. Other agencies forego notification, viewing it as a stigmatizing action that fuels neighborhood hostility and violates consumers' civil rights. Some evidence indicates that neighborhood notification is associated with higher levels of initial protest. But no studies have examined longer-term effects on neighbor relations. Data were collected from 1,300 neighbors living within ¼ mile of 65 known psychiatric residences. Administrators responsible for siting that housing were previously interviewed regarding whether initial neighborhood notification and opposition had occurred. Almost half of the neighbors reported that the residence had a positive impact on the neighborhood, less than 10% reported a negative impact, and the remaining thought it had no impact. Respondents described how positive and negative effects were manifested, and differences in perceptions of quality of life impacts were analyzed according to initial notification and opposition. The results provide social work administrators with evidence regarding siting strategies and long-term neighbor relations.

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Learn what neighbors perceive as the effects of psychiatric housing on neighborhood quality of life.
• 2.Identify the strategies used by mental health administrators to influence neighbor relations when establishing psychiatric housing.
• 3.Analyze the links between initial siting strategies and long term perceptions among neighbors regarding positive and negative impacts of psychiatric residences on neighborhood quality of life.

Keywords: Mental Health, Housing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation