Residential segregation is usually measured based on the spatial distribution patterns of people who belong to specific groups e.g., religious or economic, where different communities don’t live or interact with each other (Boal, 1969). Northern Ireland has a unique form of segregation in the form of physical barriers known as ‘peace lines’, which can be seen in Figure 1.
In the case of Belfast, they separate two different religiopolitical communities and were erected as a result of civil unrest known locally as ‘The Troubles’. Religious segregation is still a very prominent issue in Northern Ireland; “more than 60 per cent of the population live in areas which have more than 80 per cent of one religion” (O’Reilly and Stevenson, 1998:161). Whilst the amount of mixed residential areas has increased, they tend to be located in middle-class neighbourhoods in the South of Belfast, such as Malone. As a result, the segregation and violence in the peace line areas in the North and West intensified (Murtagh, 2011). Consequently, the area experienced further social deprivation, including higher levels of ill health and poor access to services; for example, the mental health needs in Northern Ireland are 25% higher than the UK average. Additionally, studies have found that the level of depression in secondary school students in Northern Ireland is higher than other ‘normal’ populations (Gallagher et. al., 2012). These statistics have been linked to the civil unrest (the Troubles), as well as the geographical segregation and consequent deprivation which resulted from it.
NIMDM2017 & National Health Survey 2018/19
The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure 2017 (NIMDM2017) is a measure of deprivation which ranks the 890 Super Output Area’s (SOAs) in Northern Ireland from 1 (most deprived) to 890 (least deprived), using seven domains of deprivation (NISRA, 2018). The Combined Mental Health Indicator is one of the NIMDM2017 deprivation domains. It measures 'the proportion of population that is in receipt of medication for mood/anxiety disorders, suicide rates, mental health inpatient stays, mental health related benefits and the proportion of people that suffer with long term emotional, psychological or mental health conditions' (NISRA, 2018). Figure 2 highlights the Combined Mental Health Indicator rank in the study areas: where, the smaller the number, the higher the deprivation rank thus higher indication of ill mental health (NISRA, 2018). The difference between the segregated peace line areas (Shankill and Falls) and the more affluent and mixed area (Malone) is very stark. The CMH Indicator is over 90 times higher in the Falls and over 30 times higher in the Shankill than it is in Malone. Both Shankill and Falls fall within the 50 most deprived SOAs in all of Northern Ireland. In comparison, Malone, falls in the 50 least deprived SOAs in Northern Ireland. Considering the fact that these neighbourhoods are approximately within a 15- minute car journey of each other, the contrast of deprivation is alarming.
It’s also worth noting that areas with a higher percentage of Catholics tend to be more deprived (O’Reilly and Stevenson, 1998); this trend can also be observed in Figure 2. Whilst both the Falls and the Shankill are ranked a lot higher than Malone; the Falls (a predominantly Catholic neighbourhood) is ranked nearly three times higher than the Shankill. The above could suggest that those who reside in areas where segregation is higher, are more likely to experience ill- mental health. Further, according to the National Health Survey of Northern Ireland, in 2018/19, 18% of all surveyed scored highly on the GHQ12 which suggests a possible mental health issue; further, the survey found that residents in most deprived areas are twice (24%) as likely to score high in the GHQ12 than those who reside in least deprived areas (12%) (Department of Health, 2020).
Findings
Belfast is considered a ‘divided city’ as a result of centuries of civil conflict between British unionists and Irish nationalists (Nagle, 2009). We can observe a pattern of deprivation in the “highly segregated, lower- income segments of the Catholic and Protestant communities” (Boal, 2013:107) and therefore we can establish a relationship between high levels of segregation and high levels of deprivation.
The study area: the Shankill and the Falls are two of the neighbourhoods which are spatially segregated by over twenty physical barriers in Belfast, known as peace walls (Nagle, 2009). According to a 2016 study, “neighbourhood segregation has been described as a fundamental determinant of physical health” (Maguire et.al., 2016:845), it found that those who reside in an area segregated by a peace wall, have an increased likelihood of using antidepressant medication by 9%. The study concluded that living in those areas has a detrimental effect on mental health. (Maguire et.al., 2016). Further, according to O’Reilly and Stevenson, “it is probable that mental health of the population of Northern Ireland has been significantly affected by the Troubles” (O’Reilly and Stevenson, 2003:488), with the poorer communities, such as those residing in peace wall areas, being affected the most (Gallagher et. al., 2012).
DISCLAIMER
This work is an altered piece of work that was originally submitted as an assignment to Queen's University Belfast by the author, all efforts have been made to erase links to the original module in order to avoid plagiarism by other students in the future.
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Figure 2 - Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2017. Health and Disability Indicators - NIMDM 2017 (statistical geographies). Available at: https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/nimdm17-soa-level-results (Accessed 29th November 2020).
