MENTAL HEALTH AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION 21
residential segregation has remained constant (figure 3). It must be noted, however,
that this survey focused on those aged between 25 and 74, excluding younger people
aged between 18 and 24 (Shuttleworth 2013). If this group was included, data would
have produced richer results and thus more likely to illustrate the most important
factor of moving between boundaries. In this regard, Tomlinson (2007) presents a
collection of data, mainly in relation to suicide, even though a specific correlation
between poor mental health and residential segregation has not been found.
Figure 3: Percentages for those who move from the community of origin (i.e.
Catholic or Protestant) 2001-2007.
Source: (Shuttleworth 2013).
French’s (2009) results demonstrate the relationship between living in interface areas
and poor mental health. In fact, it shows how segregation is an obstacle for the
improvement of mental health in Northern Ireland. When individuals are completely
divided at an interface, they will record a high index of mental disorders. An example
of this is the Shankill Road, a Protestant enclave in predominantly Catholic West
Belfast. In contrast, an area containing residents from only one community and
surrounded by areas with a similar community profile will present a low index