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Spatial analysis to identify hotspots of prevalence of schizophrenia

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Abstract

Introduction

The geographical distribution of mental health disorders is useful information for epidemiological research and health services planning.

Objective

To determine the existence of geographical hotspots with a high prevalence of schizophrenia in a mental health area in Spain.

Method

The study included 774 patients with schizophrenia who were users of the community mental health care service in the area of South Granada. Spatial analysis (Kernel estimation) and Bayesian relative risks were used to locate potential hotspots. Availability and accessibility were both rated in each zone and spatial algebra was applied to identify hotspots in a particular zone.

Results

The age-corrected prevalence rate of schizophrenia was 2.86 per 1,000 population in the South Granada area. Bayesian analysis showed a relative risk varying from 0.43 to 2.33. The area analysed had a non-uniform spatial distribution of schizophrenia, with one main hotspot (zone S2). This zone had poor accessibility to and availability of mental health services.

Conclusion

A municipality-based variation exists in the prevalence of schizophrenia and related disorders in the study area. Spatial analysis techniques are useful tools to analyse the heterogeneous distribution of a variable and to explain genetic/environmental factors in hotspots related with a lack of easy availability of and accessibility to adequate health care services.

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Acknowledgments

This project was partly funded by the Andalusian Foundation for Social Integration of the Mentally ill Patients, the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS: 98/087; redIAPP and SAMSERAP group:RD06/0018/0039) and the Andalusian Research Plan (PAI: CTS-01765 and CTS-587). We thank Francisco José Vázquez-Polo for his contribution to the Bayesian analysis and comments, also Carmen Rosales and José Alberto Salinas, geographers. We acknowledge all the staff of the South Granada Mental Health Area for help with data gathering. We would also like to thank Isolde Gornemann, Christina Emmett and Ian Johnstone for revision of the English text.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain

    Berta Moreno (Prof.)

  2. IMABIS Foundation, Malaga, Spain

    Berta Moreno (Prof.)

  3. Avda Principal del Candado, 1. 5°C-1, 29018, Malaga, Spain

    Berta Moreno (Prof.)

  4. ETEA, Business Administration Faculty, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Spain

    Carlos R. García-Alonso (Prof.)

  5. Dept. of Quantitative Methods, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain

    Miguel A. Negrín Hernández (Prof.)

  6. Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Francisco Torres-González (Prof.)

  7. Scientific Association PSICOST/RIRAG, Cadiz, Spain

    Luis Salvador-Carulla (Prof.)

Authors
  1. Berta Moreno
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  2. Carlos R. García-Alonso
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  3. Miguel A. Negrín Hernández
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  4. Francisco Torres-González
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  5. Luis Salvador-Carulla
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Berta Moreno.

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Moreno, B., García-Alonso, C.R., Negrín Hernández, M.A. et al. Spatial analysis to identify hotspots of prevalence of schizophrenia. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 782–791 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0368-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0368-3

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