Relationship between Environmental Conditions and Utilisation of Community-Based Mental Health Care: A Comparative Study before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 21(6)2024 May 22.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38928908
ABSTRACT
(1) Background:
Lower socioeconomic status increases psychiatric service use, exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic by environmental stressors like air pollution and limited green spaces. This study aims to assess the influence of sociodemographic and environmental factors on mental health service utilisation. (2)Methods:
This retrospective study uses an administrative database focusing on community mental health services in Northeast Italy. Spatial and temporal analyses were used to address space-time dependencies. (3)Results:
Findings showed that sociodemographic factors like living in rented apartments and lower education levels predicted higher mental health service use. Environmental factors, such as elevated NO2 levels and, before the pandemic, lower solar radiation and tree cover, correlated with increased service utilisation. COVID-19 reduced most of the pre-existing differences associated with these factors across census blocks with a different composition of sociodemographic and environmental factors. (4)Conclusions:
These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the environment on public mental health.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Serviços Comunitários de Saúde Mental
/
COVID-19
Limite:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int J Environ Res Public Health
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article