Abstract
Background
Mental health service research can require the selection of representative geographical areas for data collection. This study designed and tested a new method of combining different relevant selection criteria within the context of a survey of housing services for people with mental health disorders in England.
Methods
Six criteria were considered relevant to select areas for the survey: deprivation, urban-ness, provision of community mental health care, residential care provision, total mental health care spend and pressure on housing generally. A measure was identified for each criterion and established for each of 166 local areas. Variables were converted to standardised scores and multi-dimensional scaling undertaken to produce a single axis representing all six variables. Study sites were chosen from this. Identifying the spread of the constituent variables among the finally selected areas we established how successfully the resulting selection represented each of the selection criteria. Reliability analyses were performed on the rank positions of each area.
Results
The measures were converted into one axis, and all areas were ranked according to the score on that specifically developed new axis. The scores on the axis showed good reliability when single criteria were eliminated from the equation. The finally selected six areas demonstrated a reasonable spread of scores of each of the constituent variables.
Conclusion
Converting several relevant criteria into one score is a feasible approach to ranking geographical areas to assist in identifying small samples that are arguably representative. The method may be used widely in similar research, but requires the availability of reliable data on relevant selection criteria.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bibby P, Shepherd J (2005) Developing a new classification of urban and rural areas for policy purposes—the methodology. F. a. R. A. Department for the Environment. Available from: http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruralstats/rural-defn/Rural_Urban_Methodology_Report.pdf
Fakhoury WKH, Murray A, Shepherd G, Priebe S (2002) Research in supported housing. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 37:301–315
Glover G, Barnes D, Wistow R, Bradley S (2005) Mental health service provision for working age adults in England 2003. University of Durham Centre for Public Mental Health, Durham, UK
Glover GR, Robin E, Emami J, Arabscheibani GR (1998) A needs index for mental health care. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 33:89–96
Ingham A (2006) Mental health finance mapping for english local implementation teams. Autumn review 2005
Office for National Statistics, 2001 Census: standard area statistics (England and Wales). ESRC/JISC census programme, census dissemination unit, Mimas (University of Manchester)
Peen J, Dekker J, Schoevers RA, teb Have M, de Graaf R, Beekman AT (2007) Is the prevalence of psychiatric disorders associated with urbanization? Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:984–989
Rezvyy G, Øiesvold T, Parniakov A, Ponomarev O, Lazurko O, Olstad R (2007) The barents project in psychiatry: a systematic comparative mental health services study between Northern Norway and Archangelsk County. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:131–139
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Priebe, S., Saidi, M., Kennedy, J. et al. How to select representative geographical areas in mental health service research. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 43, 1004–1007 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0383-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0383-4