Neighbors' perceptions of community-based psychiatric housing

Neighborhood opposition to the establishment of community-based housing for individuals with serious mental illness, often called the not in my backyard (or NIMBY) phenomenon, has generated considerable public and professional notice. However, little is known about longer-term attitudes among neighbors. Interviews with 1,425 neighbors of extant psychiatric housing sites were conducted to examine their perceptions of the effects of the residences on neighborhood life and the associations among current perceptions, initial neighborhood opposition, and agency-sponsored outreach efforts with neighbors. Results suggest that few of those aware of the sites report negative views and that many express support for concepts of social responsibility and collective care.