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6 - Society, place and space

from Part II - Social factors and the onset of psychosis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2009

By
Jane Boydell  and
Kwame McKenzie
Edited by
Craig Morgan ,
Kwame McKenzie  and
Paul Fearon
Jane Boydell
Affiliation:
Section of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK
Kwame McKenzie
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College, London (Hampstead Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
Craig Morgan
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
Kwame McKenzie
Affiliation:
University College London
Paul Fearon
Affiliation:
Trinity College, Dublin
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Summary

Introduction

This chapter will discuss the impact of society, place and space on the incidence of psychosis. It will briefly introduce the history of social causation theory before using the well established effect of urban residence on the incidence of psychosis in general, and schizophrenia in particular, as a lens through which to consider the possibilities for, and problems with, this research field. The reasons why the socioenvironmental context seems likely to be important will be described. Recent attention has focused on the idea that neighbourhood factors might exert an effect beyond their individual equivalents. For example, the social cohesion of a neighbourhood might have an effect on rates of psychosis above and beyond that of individual social networks. These possibilities, and the challenges associated with them, will be discussed.

History

Prior to the rise of modern medicine, the cause of disease was attributed to a variety of spiritual or mechanical factors, such as the elements, humours or miasma – bad air arising out of dirt and decaying organic matter. Early public health research, built on these theories, took the environment, in particular poor areas, to be aetiologically relevant. Risk was related to place; populations, rather than individuals, were considered more vulnerable because of where they lived rather than because of their own behaviour. Pioneers of public health in the mid-nineteenth century targeted sanitation of the slums, not education on personal hygiene, considering this to be the most important way of improving health (Porter, 1997, p. 411).

Keywords

psychosisschizophreniasocial causation theorysocioenvironmental contexturban environment
Type
Chapter
Information
Society and Psychosis , pp. 77 - 94
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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  • Society, place and space
    • By Jane Boydell, Section of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK, Kwame McKenzie, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College, London (Hampstead Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
  • Edited by Craig Morgan, Kwame McKenzie, University College London, Paul Fearon
  • Book: Society and Psychosis
  • Online publication: 07 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544064.006
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  • Society, place and space
    • By Jane Boydell, Section of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK, Kwame McKenzie, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College, London (Hampstead Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
  • Edited by Craig Morgan, Kwame McKenzie, University College London, Paul Fearon
  • Book: Society and Psychosis
  • Online publication: 07 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544064.006
Available formats
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Society, place and space
    • By Jane Boydell, Section of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Box 63, Institute of Psychiatry De Crespigny Park, London, UK, Kwame McKenzie, Department of Mental Health Sciences, University College, London (Hampstead Campus), Rowland Hill Street, London, UK
  • Edited by Craig Morgan, Kwame McKenzie, University College London, Paul Fearon
  • Book: Society and Psychosis
  • Online publication: 07 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511544064.006
Available formats
×