Community-Based Integrated Care System for People with Mental Illness in Japan: Evaluating Location Characteristics of Group Homes to Determine the Feasibility of Daily Life Skill Training

As a global trend in mental health and welfare services, the community is increasingly considered to play a central role in the lives of people with mental illness. Group homes (GHs) are used globally as a means of promoting deinstitutionalization and establishing community life. The Japanese government issued a call to build Community-Based Integrated Care Systems for people with mental illness (CICSM). Therefore, we evaluated the location characteristics of GHs to determine the feasibility of daily life skills training, using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The target area was Ishikawa Prefecture. The size of everyday living areas (ELAs) for older adults was set at 1.8 km, and at 2.5 km for adults. We counted the number of service providers (SPs). Two GHs in the adult ELA and two GHs in the older adult ELA did not have SPs. Eight GHs had only one SP in their ELAs. Results showed that GHs with no or a few SPs in their ELAs are disadvantaged in shopping skills training. These findings may help people with mental illness in various countries develop support plans to effectively provide daily life training, considering the characteristics of the geographical environment and social resources around their living bases.