IN-PERSON Barcelona Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Environmental education has provided insight into how psychiatric institutions affect the neighborhood throughout the past few decades, both in terms of their aesthetic contributions and their impact on the community’s overall mental health. A popular belief and a common sense says that the existence of a mental health facility is perceived negatively by the community. Within this study we aimed to analyze the perception of the Psychiatric Hospital of Shkodra by the residents of the neighborhood and understand better the community attitudes towards both the mental health and mental health facility. The study explores the perceptions of neighbors (N = 100) by using a questionnaire to define the factors contributing to the residentùs attitudes, how they are tethered to the built environment and social components. To gather data, a quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing random sampling techniques. Participants were selected through door-to-door surveys, ensuring a representative distribution of responses from the target population. The analysis revealed key insights into the relationship between facility characteristics and community attitudes towards mental health.Homeowners and long-term residents of the neighborhood were more likely to view the facility as a factor contributing to decreased property values. Additionally, residents with children at home were notably more inclined to fully agree with the statement, “There should be guards at the facility.” Furthermore, respondents who perceived the facility as ordinary expressed a preference for its location on the outskirts of the city, rather than within the neighborhood. Ultimately, the study lays the groundwork for future research on community involvement and explores the dynamics of Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) attitudes towards the integration or exclusion of mental health facilities in local areas.