HIGHER PREVALENCE OF MENTAL-DISORDERS IN SOCIOECONOMICALLY DEPRIVED URBAN AREAS IN THE NETHERLANDS - COMMUNITY OR PERSONAL DISADVANTAGE

Objective-Major mental disorders occur more frequently in deprived urb an areas. This study examines whether this occurs for all mental disor ders, including less serious ones. It further assesses whether such a concentration can be explained by the socioeconomic status (SES) of th e residents concerned or that a cumulation of problems in deprived are as reinforces their occurrence. Design-Mental disorders were assessed by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) among 4892 resident s. Additional data were obtained on area deprivation, and on individua l SES. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to take the hie rarchical structure of the data into account, residents being nested i n boroughs. Setting-General population of the city of Amsterdam, the N etherlands. Main outcome measure-Prevalence of an increased (greater t han or equal to 2) score on the GHQ, 12 item version. Results-Mental d isorders occur more frequently in deprived areas but this can be expla ined by the lower SES of the residents concerned. Conclusions-The cumu lation of mental disorders in deprived urban areas is mainly a result of a concentration of low SES people in these areas. Contextual factor s of deprived urban areas give hardly any additional risk above that r esulting from a low individual SES.