SPATIAL IMPLICATIONS OF HOUSING QUALITIES ON INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION IN URBAN SETTLEMENTS: CASE OF VICTIMS OF MENTAL DISORDERS IN DAR ES SALAAM CITY, TANZANIA

Abstract

Mental health disorders account for more than 13% of global disease burden, and is expected to increase in forthcoming years. In low developing countries, mental health conditions are becoming significant in contributing to realization of Sustainable Devel-opment Goals (SDG) such as sustainable cities and communities etc. In fast growing cities like Dar es Salaam, the rate of mental health disorders is indicated by increased suicide, sexual harassment, drug abuse and raping incidences. Causes for these condi-tions are multifaceted, hence their interventions need multi-sectoral approach. Despite this fact, the current research and available interventions are solely from health sector. Housing, being the living environment and critical influencer of human wellbeing and welfare has not been well studied in the field of mental health. Hence this research in-tends to explore the relationship between housing qualities and individual mental health condition in urban settlements.

This is the retrospective-cross sectional study and adopted mixed research approach. It was revealed that the study area has both formal and informal settlements whereby in-formal settlements have overcrowded houses, poor home accessibility, insecurities, rent problems, more than one person per room, poor physical infrastructure, poor housing condition, and so on which are interrelated with mental health condition. In other hand, formal settlements were characterized with fenced houses which limit the occupancies from social interaction with neighbors hence contributes to destruction of the mental health condition particular to children and youths. The study recommends on improving living environment including houses, social spaces, physical infrastructure, accessibility of social services in order to reduce problem of mental health disorders in urban areas.