Conclusions

2019 ◽  
pp. 354-356
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Ethnic Diversity ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Urban environments can be toxic to people’s mental health. Life in the city can also have positive impact on education, cultural enrichment, and employment opportunities and access to services when needed. Wide variety of housing and transport can help. Cities can also provide sexual and ethnic diversity. As most clinical services themselves are set in the urban areas, clinicians often do not understand the impact of urban environment on people’s well-being. Similarly, very often urban designers and city planners do not take into account the effect built environments can have on people’s mental health. It is critical that as part of prevention of mental illnesses and promotion of mental health both groups work with other stakeholders to ensure that urban environments are safe and clean and provide a milieu for people to work, play, and live in without endangering their well-being. Joint working should be the first crucial step.

scholarly journals Evidence and theory for lower rates of depression in larger US urban areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (31) ◽  
pp. e2022472118
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Stier ◽  
Kathryn E. Schertz ◽  
Nak Won Rim ◽  
Carlos Cardenas-Iniguez ◽  
Benjamin B. Lahey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
City Size ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Us Cities ◽  
Systematic Framework

It is commonly assumed that cities are detrimental to mental health. However, the evidence remains inconsistent and at most, makes the case for differences between rural and urban environments as a whole. Here, we propose a model of depression driven by an individual’s accumulated experience mediated by social networks. The connection between observed systematic variations in socioeconomic networks and built environments with city size provides a link between urbanization and mental health. Surprisingly, this model predicts lower depression rates in larger cities. We confirm this prediction for US cities using four independent datasets. These results are consistent with other behaviors associated with denser socioeconomic networks and suggest that larger cities provide a buffer against depression. This approach introduces a systematic framework for conceptualizing and modeling mental health in complex physical and social networks, producing testable predictions for environmental and social determinants of mental health also applicable to other psychopathologies.

scholarly journals Rethinking Depression in Cities: Evidence and Theory for Lower Rates in Larger Urban Areas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J Stier ◽  
Marc G Berman ◽  
Luis M.A. Bettencourt ◽  
Kathryn E Schertz ◽  
Nak Won Rim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
City Size ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Us Cities ◽  
Systematic Framework

It is commonly assumed that cities are detrimental to mental health. However, the evidence remains inconsistent and, at most, makes the case for differences between rural and urban environments as a whole. Here, we propose a model of depression driven by an individual's accumulated experience mediated by social networks. The connection between observed systematic variations in socioeconomic networks and built environments with city size provides a link between urbanization and mental health. Surprisingly, this model predicts lower depression rates in larger cities. We confirm this prediction for US cities using three independent datasets. These results are consistent with other behaviors associated with denser socioeconomic networks and suggest that larger cities provide a buffer against depression. This approach introduces a systematic framework for conceptualizing and modeling mental health in complex physical and social networks, producing testable predictions for environmental and social determinants of mental health also applicable to other psychopathologies.

scholarly journals Mental Health & Resiliency: Designing Participatory Nature Dependent Environments and Communities for a Sustainable Future

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Beam ◽  
Nawari O. Nawari ◽  
Bill Tilson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Community Planning ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Natural Environments

Sustainable design trends have historically wended down a road that supports the idea of densely populated urban planning as a strategy for mitigating sprawl. Creation of dense urban areas aims at the reduction of carbon emissions. However, studies show that densely populated areas often come with a panacea of mental health, resiliency, and quality of life ails for a community.The following research explores the possibility of combining densely populated design approaches with ancient community planning methods that encourage relationship building: close contact with natural environments and social interchange. Community planning that also creates a day to day contact with nature could be a crucial strategy for both sustaining healthy ecosystems and the development of sustainable communities. The potential for integrating dependence upon nature within built urban environments, as well as the possibility of positive place-making by harvesting nature dependent cultural and social assets in communities and neighborhoods, is, therefore, a wealthy area worthy of exploration.To explore these areas, mental health research on the effects of nature on the brain, as well as the three leading determinants of social, environmental and economic well-being, worldwide, and the founding cultures of these determinants were reviewed. Resilient indigenous groups and case studies of the happiest nation, of Norway and two leading environmentally sustainable and resilient countries, Costa Rica, Cuba, and New Mexico are examined. The paper provides recommendations for improving mental health and resilience by integrating strategies for nature and community needs in urban planning and built environments design.

scholarly journals The Effect of Subjective Perception of Work in Relation to Occupational and Demographic Factors on the Mental Health of Polish Nurses

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystyna Kowalczuk ◽  
Elżbieta Krajewska-Kułak ◽  
Marek Sobolewski
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Stress Reactions ◽  
Work Overload ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Nursing is considered one of the most stressful professions in the world. The high emotional burden associated with excessive workload in qualitative and quantitative terms, exposure to existing and emerging infectious diseases, daily confrontation with the suffering of individuals and their families and low social support leads to the development of numerous stress reactions among nurses, resulting in the development of anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction and depression. Indeed, somatic and mental stress-related disease rates are higher among nurses than in the general population.Aim: To determine the impact of subjective work characteristics on the mental health of nurses in relation to demographic and occupational factors.Material and method: The research was carried out among 558 nurses working in hospitals in Podlaskie Voivodeship, and used the Subjective Work Evaluation Questionnaire (SWEQ) and Goldberg's GHQ-28 Questionnaire.Results: As measured by SWEQ, and as self-assessed by means of the GHQ-28 questionnaire, overall stress negatively affects the nurses' health (R2 = 18.7%). Among the partial measures of the SWEQ questionnaire, work overload had strong and the lack of rewards, social relations and lack of support had weak negative effect on the overall mental health assessment of nurses (R2 = 19.2%). The responsibility measure was an exception that had a positive impact on the nurses' well-being. Among occupational and demographic factors, only higher education in relation to secondary education in interactions with the overall stress measure and unpleasant work conditions had a positive effect on the overall mental health self-assessment of nurses (R2 = 20.7%).Conclusions: The results of our study provide a clear message to the hospital management that improving the work organization and atmosphere of nurses by reducing perceived work overload and increasing the responsibility of nurses can have a positive impact on their mental health. Encouraging nurses to improve their education can result not only in an obvious improvement in staff qualifications, but also in better resistance to stressors in the workplace and, consequently, in better staff well-being. Both measures can have a positive impact on the quality of care provided by nurses and on reducing staff turnover.

Impact on personal growth and environment conservation self-perception in a volunteering program with adults with severe mental illness (SMI)

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. s280-s281
Author(s):  
D. Cabezas Sánchez ◽  
A. Ramírez Macías ◽  
J. Sáiz Galdós
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Green Area ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Competing Interest ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

Introduction“Viaje del Parnaso” is a volunteering project developed at the Day Center Aranjuez2 (CD2) for helping adults with SMI to get a satisfactory and responsible occupation through their implication in a volunteering work in the community, while involved in the maintenance of a green area in the city of Aranjuez.Objectives/aimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the project on the volunteers’ lives in terms of personal growth and environment conservation and compare its results with non-volunteers also attended at the CD2.MethodsThe project was carried once a week during 45 weeks. 11 volunteers participated on the project, plus 5 non-volunteers were considered as cuasi-control group. The instruments applied were an item on “environment conservation” and 2 subscale items of “Personal Growth” from the Ryff Scales of psychological well-being. Measures were applied at baseline, 6 and 12 months after.ResultsSignificant differences were found on the environment conservation item between volunteers at baseline and 6 months after (P < 0.05). Results also revealed a significant difference (P < 0.05) between volunteers and non-volunteers at both variables (“environment conservation” and “Personal Growth”) in baseline and 6 months after treatment.ConclusionsThe data from this study suggest that a volunteering program seems to be an effective intervention for bringing about improvements in well-being of people with SMI, and also for increasing their environmental awareness. These improvements may also help to change the stigma of SMI reinforcing mental health patient's contributions to society.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The Impact of Atmosphere in the City on Subjective Well-Being of Rio de Janeiro Residents During (vs. Before) the 2014 FIFA World Cup

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 605-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Schlegel ◽  
Rebecca Pfitzner ◽  
Joerg Koenigstorfer
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Path Modeling ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Fifa World Cup ◽  
Time Period ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

This study looks at the hosting of the 2014 Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cup in Rio de Janeiro and, based on research drawing on environmental psychology and studies of liminality, hypothesizes that the perceived celebrative atmosphere in the city increases subjective well-being of host city residents (cariocas). Data were collected via in-person intercept surveys from 221 and 218 cariocas before and during the event, respectively. There was an increase in subjective well-being from before the event to during the event. The results of two-group path modeling revealed further that there was a positive impact of the perceived celebrative atmosphere in the host city on residents’ subjective well-being during the event; the effect was weaker (though still positive) for the time period when the event was not being hosted. Initiatives may build upon the atmospheric elements in a city to increase subjective well-being of residents, particularly in the context of event hosting.

scholarly journals COVID-19: impact on the mental health of university students

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4891
Author(s):  
Priyanka Aswal ◽  
Parvesh Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Entire Country ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Detrimental Impact

Background: Ever since the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, education institutions in the entire country were shut down. This shutdown of universities caused the students to stay at home which caused a detrimental impact on their mental health.Methods: This survey-based study aims to decipher the impact the lockdown has caused on the mental well-being of the students. The survey was conducted through a set of online questionnaires.Results: The results of the study show that the students suffered from various psychological problems. Anxiety and stress were the most prevalent amongst mental illnesses and were reportedly increased due to uncertainty about future prospects like job and graduation.Conclusions: The study confirms that the pandemic has had a negative impact on the psychological health of the patients and has amplified stress and fear amongst them. 

scholarly journals Effects of Economic Uncertainty on Mental Health in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context: Social Identity Disturbance, Job Uncertainty and Psychological Well-Being Model

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danijela Godinic ◽  
Bojan Obrenovic ◽  
Akmal Khudaykulov
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Economic Uncertainty ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Identity Disturbance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Psychological well-being is a major global concern receiving more scholarly attention following the 2008 Great Recession, and it becomes even more relevant in the context of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we investigated the impact of economic uncertainty resulting from natural disasters, epidemics, and financial crisis on individuals’ mental health. As unemployment rate exponentially increases, individuals are faced with health and economic concerns. Not all society members are affected to the same extent, and marginalized groups, such as those suffering from chronic mental illnesses or low-income families cannot afford the downsizing, mass lay-offs and lack of access to public health services. Psychiatric profession is familiarized with the phenomenon of intolerance of uncertainty (IU), and we examine how this concept is associated with job uncertainty and social identity disturbance. Several studies have formally investigated the effects of IU, but to our knowledge, this is the first research integrating the psychological well-being, job uncertainty and identity disturbance caused by economic breakdown. Literature points to many reported cases of PTSD, anxiety, depression and suicidal tendencies following major social disasters. Yet, we have undertaken to analyze the subjective experiences underlying the self-harming behaviors in an attempt to fill the methodological gap by drawing insights from prominent psychological, sociological and economic theories. We find economic uncertainty to have a positive relation to job uncertainty and identity disturbance, and a negative relationship with psychological well-being. Psychological well-being depends on coherency between both abstract subjective and concrete objective identity, and when these perceptions are inconsistent, cognitive dissonance arises resulting in identity disturbance. We argue that stability is not associated with monetary advantage only, but also with a wide range of other benefits that are crucial for individuals’ growth, satisfaction and sense of identity. Therefore, we propose the implementation of social support and public welfare policies to mitigate health risks during the turbulent socio-economic changes.

scholarly journals Preferences of people with mental illness for engaging in exercise programs under COVID-19 restrictions

2020 ◽  
pp. 103985622097529
Author(s):  
Justin J Chapman ◽  
Emily Hielscher ◽  
Sue Patterson ◽  
Nicola Reavley ◽  
Wendy J Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Physical Activity Program ◽  
Exercise Programs ◽  
Activity Program ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
The Impact

Objectives: People with mental illness may be vulnerable to decline in mental health and reduced physical activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. The aim of this study was to inform the design of physical activity interventions for implementation under these conditions to improve/maintain well-being and physical activity in this population. Methods: People with mental illness who had participated in a physical activity program prior to the pandemic were invited to complete a survey about the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and physical activity and their preferences for engaging in a physical activity program under pandemic-related restrictions. Results: More than half the 59 respondents reported worse mental health and lower physical activity during the pandemic. The preferred format for a physical activity program was one-on-one exercise instruction in-person in a park. Program components endorsed as helpful included incentivization, provision of exercise equipment and fitness devices, and daily exercise programs. About a third of the participants reported limitations in using technology for a physical activity program. Conclusions: In-person exercise support is preferred by people with mental illnesses during pandemic-related restrictions. Enablement strategies such as providing equipment and self-monitoring devices should be utilized; assistance may be needed to incorporate the use of technology in exercise programs.

scholarly journals The Influence of the Urban Environment on Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus on Air Pollution and Migration—A Narrative Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3920
Author(s):  
Giulia Menculini ◽  
Francesco Bernardini ◽  
Luigi Attademo ◽  
Pierfrancesco Maria Balducci ◽  
Tiziana Sciarma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
And Migration ◽  
The Impact

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a crisis worldwide, due to both its public health impact and socio-economic consequences. Mental health was consistently affected by the pandemic, with the emergence of newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders and the exacerbation of pre-existing ones. Urban areas were particularly affected by the virus spread. In this review, we analyze how the urban environment may influence mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering two factors that profoundly characterize urbanization: air pollution and migration. Air pollution serves as a possibly risk factor for higher viral spread and infection severity in the context of urban areas and it has also been demonstrated to play a role in the development of serious mental illnesses and their relapses. The urban environment also represents a complex social context where minorities such as migrants may live in poor hygienic conditions and lack access to adequate mental health care. A global rethinking of the urban environment is thus required to reduce the impact of these factors on mental health. This should include actions aimed at reducing air pollution and combating climate change, promoting at the same time a more inclusive society in a sustainable development perspective.

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