Urban spaces: a mental health perspective

Dr Georgina Hosang, g.hosang@gold.ac.uk; @DrHosang,

Outline

Mental health

Mental health & city living

Why?

Vulnerable individuals

The city itself

Further questions

Mental Health

Functioning

Behaviour

Emotion Mental illness or

mental health problems

Adjustment

Psychological well-being

No health without mental health

Disorder Urban areas (%)

Rural area (%)

Depression

17.1 6.1

Alcohol dependence

5.5 3.5

Substance dependence

2.6 0.9

Prevalence of mental illnesses in the UK

Two-fold increase in incidence of schizophrenia in urban compared to rural areas.

Pattern not observed for all mental illnesses

London Mood Project

City & Mental Health

Characteristics of urban

environments

Individual factors

https://sites.google.com/site/londonmoodapp/home

City

Physical Social

Cities’ physical features & mental illness

The city as a social environment & mental health

Social support

Social isolation

Social capital (mutual trust, bonding & safety in neighbourhoods)

= Stressor?

Spaces to facilitate

Community events

Social interaction/inclusion

The city: physical & social place

Individuals characteristics

Ethnicity

Drug use

Immigration status

Interpretational style

Gender

Socio-economic status

Employment

Genetic vulnerability

London Mood Project

https://sites.google.com/site/londonmoodapp/home

Summary

Higher rates of mental illnesses in urban rather than rural areas (but not for all disorders).

Both physical and social features of the environment are linked to mental health.

Particular individuals could be vulnerable to the detrimental effects of the city.

Remaining questions are concerned with

Mechanisms

Action

Prosocial Place team

Neda Nobari-Nazari

Jamal Wallace

Megan Harrington

Amandeep Virk

Linda Walker

Tanya Frankel

Acknowledgements

RICHARD BENJAMIN TRUST Supporting Innovative Research

https://sites.google.com/site/londonmoodapp/home

References Guite, HF, Clark, C & Ackrill, G (2006). The impact of the physical

and urban environment on mental well-being. Public Health, 120, 1117-1126.

Heinz, A, Deserno, L, & Reininghaus, U. (2013). Urbanicity, social adversity and psychosis. World Psychiatry, 12(3) 187-197