Add another social ill to the adverse effects of inequality. A new study documents a linkage between urban neighborhoods with high levels of deprivation, population density, and inequality with higher rates of schizophrenia. The researchers found the relationship held after taking into account age, sex, ethnicity and social class.
A one percentage point increase in either neighborhood inequality or deprivation was linked to an increase in the incidence of schizophrenia and other similar disorders of approximately 4 percent. The data apparently reveals that both absolute and relative levels of deprivation predict the incidence of schizophrenia.
Reference
University of Cambridge. (2012). Schizophrenia Linked to Social Inequality. Research News. http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/schizophrenia-linked-to-social-inequality/