Abstract

Disparities in access to mental health care for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders continue to exist in the United States despite the creation of mental health policies seeking to improve access to care. As an integral element of healthcare system delivery, access is influenced by spatial (location) and non-spatial (sociodemographic) factors. Highlighting both spatial and non-spatial dimensions of access to mental healthcare, this study employed an innovative approach encompassing the geography of access and the integration of location analyses to bridge the gap between psychosocial dynamics and mental health services for improving cost-effective continuity of care. The aims were as follows: (1) a comprehensive investigation of mental health service accessibility and utilization using geographic information systems (GIS), (2) an examination of the concept of access to mental health care, and (3) a secondary analysis of data involving street networking to investigate whether accessibility (travel time) and selected sociodemographic variables correlated and predicted treatment adherence among adult patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The results from this study will inform future nursing and community interventions for outpatient follow-up care for individuals seeking mental health care services.

Notes

If this is your thesis or dissertation, and want to learn how to access it or for more information about readership statistics, contact us at STARS@ucf.edu

Graduation Date

2020

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Neff, Donna

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Nursing

Department

Nursing

Degree Program

Nursing

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0008388; DP0023825

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0023825

Language

English

Release Date

December 2023

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Download

Share

COinS