scholarly journals Exploring the Linkage between the Neighborhood Environment and Mental Health in Guangzhou, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingzhi Qiu ◽  
Yuqi Liu ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Zhigang Li
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Circular Buffer ◽  
The Impact

The relationship between the neighborhood environment and mental health has been investigated mostly in developed countries. Yet few studies have systematically examined the impact of the neighborhood-level built-environment and social environment on mental health within different localities in the Chinese context. Based on a household survey and geographical data in Guangzhou, China, this study aimed to explore the linkage between the neighborhood environment and mental health, with a particular focus on aspects of the built-environment that are related to new urbanism or compact cities and contextual social capital, using three geographic delineations. Our findings indicated that built-environment indicators based on a road network buffer had a higher explanatory power towards residents’ mental health than did those based on a circular buffer. The analytical models demonstrated that neighborhood floor-area ratio, building density, and per capita green area were positively correlated with mental health. Neighborhood safety and contextual neighborhood interactions and reciprocity had positive associations with mental health. These findings provide policy makers and urban planners with valuable information on the role of the compact city strategy and the neighborhood social environment to improve the mental health of residents.

scholarly journals What is the impact of socio-economic inequalities on the use of mental health services?

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Amaddeo ◽  
Julia Jones
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Psychiatric Morbidity ◽  
Social Background ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Economic Inequalities

AbstractAmartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize for Economics, has demonstrated that the incidence of deprivation, in terms ofcapability, can be surprisingly high even in the most developed countries of the world. The study of socio-economic inequalities, in relation to the utilisation of health services, is a priority for epidemiological research. Socio-economic status (SES) has no universal definition. Within the international research literature, SES has been related to social class, social position, occupational status, educational attainment, income, wealth and standard of living. Existing research studies have shown that people from a more deprived social background, with a lower SES, are more likely to have a higher psychiatric morbidity. Many studies show that SES influences psychiatric services utilization, however the real factors linking SES and mental health services utilisation remain unclear. In this editorial we discuss what is currently known about the relationship between SES and the use of mental health services. We also make an argument for why we believe there is still much to uncover in this field, to understand fully how individuals are influenced by their personal socio-economic status, or the neighbourhood in which they live, in terms of their use of mental health services. Further research in this area will help clarify what interventions are required to provide greater equality in access to mental health services.

scholarly journals SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN MEXICO: IMPLICATIONS OF GENDER AND PHYSICAL HEALTH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S215-S215
Author(s):  
Maria Monserud
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Studies in developed countries indicate that social activities can make a difference in mental health in later life. Yet, research on potential benefits of social activities for older adults in developing countries, including Mexico, has been scarce. This study uses the two most recent waves (2012, 2015) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study to investigate the impact of social activities on depressive symptoms among older men (n = 4, 749) and women (n = 6,527), aged 50+, in Mexico. The results of Ordinary Least Squares regressions indicate that it is important to differentiate among specific social activities in later life. Particularly, not only group-based but also solitary social activities were predictive of better mental health. Moreover, the findings demonstrate several gender differences and similarities. Participation in clubs, communication with relatives and friends, physical exercise, and watching television were beneficial for mental health among men, whereas volunteering, playing games, and making crafts were associated with fewer depressive symptoms among women. At the same time, reading as well as doing household chores were related to better mental health among older Mexicans, regardless of gender. Furthermore, this study shows that self-reported health, functional limitations, chronic conditions, and frequent pain might shape the implications of social activities for depressive symptoms among older adults in Mexico. The insights from this study can be helpful for intervention programs that are being developed to promote benefits of group-based and solitary social activities for mental health among older men and women with different levels of physical health.

scholarly journals THE ROLE OF SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN CHANGING THE HEALTH-PROMOTING EFFECT OF BUILT ENVIRONMENT: A COMMUNITY SURVEY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S278-S279
Author(s):  
Jennifer Y M Tang ◽  
Cheryl Chui ◽  
Tuen Yi Chiu ◽  
Rebecca Chiu ◽  
Vivian W Lou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Subjective Feeling ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Outdoor Space ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Previous research that studies the impact of built environment on health often attribute the enabling effects of environment on physical activity participation and opportunities for social interaction. Few studies have explored how the role of subjective feeling, such as the feeling of connectedness with the community, affects the association between built environment and physical and mental health. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 2,247 residents aged 50 years or above in five districts in Hong Kong. We tested the mediation effect of sense of community in the relationship between physical environment and health using the path analysis. We administered a questionnaire to assess the residents’ perceived age-friendliness of outdoor spaces and buildings in the district. We used the Brief Sense of Community Scale and the 12-item Short-form Health Survey to measure sense of community and physical and mental health. We found that age-friendliness of outdoor spaces was modestly correlated with mental health (r = 0.10, P < 0.001) but not with physical health (r = 0.02, P = 0.4), whereas age-friendliness of buildings correlated with both (r = 0.05, P = 0.01; r = 0.06, P = 0.004). Sense of community mediated 25.9% of the total effect between outdoor space and physical health, 20.4% between outdoor space and mental health, and 42.5% between service and building on physical health. To conclude, sense of community was a partial mediator of the environment-health relationship. Future design of built environment should take into consideration its potential influence on sense of community and health.

scholarly journals The Impact of Shared Versus Individual Office Space on Therapist Appraisal of Their Work Environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. i26
Author(s):  
Shane L Rogers ◽  
Stephen J Edwards ◽  
Rebecca Perera
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Physical Work ◽  
Office Space ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Objective:  The primary objective was to investigate the impact of shared versus individual office space on therapist appraisal of the work physical and social environment, and overall appraisal of working conditions. Method:  Therapists (n = 59) from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Western Australia were surveyed about their appraisal of the social and physical work environment, in addition to their overall appraisal of working conditions. Results:  Compared to therapists with individual offices, therapists occupying shared office space reported lower appraisal of the work physical environment and lower overall appraisal of working conditions. No difference was found between groups for appraisal of the work social environment. Additionally, when statistically controlling for office space, both the appraisal of the social and physical environment made an independent contribution to the prediction of overall work satisfaction. Conclusion:  This research reveals that shared office space can negatively impact therapist appraisal of their work environment and reduce overall appraisal of working conditions. Additionally, results reveal the high importance of the physical environment for staff satisfaction in a mental health service.

scholarly journals The Anatomy of Health-Supportive Neighborhoods: A Multilevel Analysis of Built Environment, Perceived Disorder, Social Interaction and Mental Health in Beijing

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinhua Tao ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Yanwei Chai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Neighborhood Environment ◽  
Neighborhood Disorder ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Neighborhood Scale

Mental health is an exceedingly prevalent concern for the urban population. Mounting evidence has confirmed the plausibility of high incidences of mental disorders in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. However, the association between the neighborhood built environment and individual mental health is understudied and far from conclusive, especially in developing countries such as China. The underlying mechanism requires in-depth analysis combining potential intermediates such as perceived environmental disorder and supportive social relationships. Using a health survey conducted in Beijing in 2017, this study investigates for the first time a socio-environmental pathway through which perceived disorder and social interaction account for the relationship between the built environment and mental health under the very notion of the neighborhood effect. The results from multilevel structural equation models indicate that individual mental health is influenced by the neighborhood-scale built environment through three pathways, independent of neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantages: (1) proximity to parks is the sole indicator directly linked to mental health; (2) population density, road connectivity and proximity to parks are indirectly associated with mental health through interactions with neighbors; and (3) population density, road connectivity and facility diversity are partially associated with perceived neighborhood disorder, which is indirectly correlated with mental health through interactions with neighbors. This study is a preliminary attempt to disentangle the complex relationships among the neighborhood environment, social interaction and mental health in the context of developing megacities. The relevant findings provide an important reference for urban planners and administrators regarding how to build health-supportive neighborhoods and healthy cities.

scholarly journals “It Changes Your Orbit”: The Impact of Suicide and Traumatic Death on Adolescents as Experienced by Adolescents and Parents

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (24) ◽  
pp. 9356
Author(s):  
Karl Andriessen ◽  
Karolina Krysinska ◽  
Debra Rickwood ◽  
Jane Pirkis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Family System ◽  
Traumatic Death ◽  
The Family ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Familial Context ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Grief Reactions

Background: Having someone close die through suicide or another form of traumatic death is a distressing event in the lives of adolescents, putting them at risk of grief and mental health ramifications. As most research in this field has been focused on intrapersonal grief reactions, this study aimed to broaden the perspective by exploring the impact of the death through an interpersonal lens. Methods: The study involved individual and group interviews with bereaved adolescents (n = 20) and parents of bereaved adolescents (n = 18), and thematic analysis of the data. Results: The analysis yielded three themes: (i) the death is a life-changing experience, (ii) the death differentiates you from your peers, and (iii) the death impacts on the family system. Conclusions: The study revealed the devastating impact of the deaths on adolescents, their relationships with peers and the family system. Adolescents’ grief must be understood within the context of their agency and their immediate social environment. The findings clearly indicate that support for bereaved adolescents should incorporate the familial context.

scholarly journals Influences of Built Environment with Hilly Terrain on Physical Activity in Dalian, China: An Analysis of Mediation by Perceptions and Moderation by Social Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (24) ◽  
pp. 4900
Author(s):  
Peijin Sun ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Yan Song ◽  
Zongchao Gu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Self Reported Health Status ◽  
Neighborhood Built Environment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Neighborhood built environment may influence residents’ physical activity, but evidence of non-major Chinese cities is lacking. We investigated the impact of five socio-demographic characteristics, 10 objectively assessed environment characteristics, eight perceived neighborhood attributes, and social environment on physical activity and health outcomes (sense of community, body mass index, as well as self-reported health status). We also examined (1) five conceptually comparable perceived neighborhood attributes as mediators of the relationship between objective environment attributes and physical activity; (2) other perceived indicators and social environment as moderators of those relationships, using the mediation analysis in regression. Objectively assessed residential density, land use mix, street connectivity, and accessibility were curvilinearly and/or linearly related to physical activity. The slope of terrain was inversely associated with body mass index (BMI). None of the perceived attributes were found as mediators probably due to the weak associations between subjective and objective environments. High density facilitated physical activity but hindered the sense of community. Further, the perceived aesthetic and safety were associated with physical activity. Additionally, social environment moderated the positive associations of all perceived environments (except for slope) and sense of community. The present study demonstrated that both physical and social environment attributes significantly correlated with physical activity in Dalian.

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