scholarly journals Gender Differences in Depressive Traits among Rural and Urban Chinese Adolescent Students: Secondary Data Analysis of Nationwide Survey CFPS

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weilong Chen ◽  
Yi Huang ◽  
Abanoub Riad
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Gender Differences ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Depressed Affect ◽  
Rural And Urban

Many previous studies have indicated that urban adolescents show a higher level of mental health in China compared to rural adolescents. Specifically, girls in rural areas represented a high-risk group prior to the 21st century, demonstrating more suicidal behaviour and ideation than those in the urban areas because of the severe gender inequality in rural China. However, because of the urbanisation process and centralised policy to eliminate gender inequality in recent decades, the regional and gender differences in mental health might decrease. This research aimed to probe the gender and regional differences in depressive traits among adolescent students currently in China. We adopted the national survey dataset Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted in 2018. Accordingly, 2173 observations from 10–15-year-old subjects were included. CFPS utilised an eight-item questionnaire to screen individuals’ depressive traits. Two dimensions of depressive traits were confirmed by CFA, namely depressed affect and anhedonia. The measurement invariance tests suggested that the two-factor model was applicable for both males and females and rural and urban students. Based on the extracted values from the CFA model, MANOVA results revealed that, compared to boys, girls experienced more depressed affect. Moreover, rural students demonstrated more anhedonia symptoms. There was no interaction between gender and region. The results suggest that, even though the gender and regional differences are small, being a female and coming from a rural area are still potential risk factors for developing depressive traits among adolescent students in China.

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.

Gender and sexual minorities

2019 ◽  
pp. 258-268
Author(s):  
Richard Bradlow ◽  
Neha Singh ◽  
Suraj Beloskar ◽  
Gurvinder Kalra
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Urban Settings ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Push And Pull

A person’s living environment can have substantial impact on his/her mental health due to a range of factors related to the environment. It has often been argued that urban settings are a hotpot of sociocultural evolutions that attract individuals from the gender and sexual minority (GSM) groups. This has led to migration from rural to urban areas and also from one urban area to another urban area. Various push and pull factors in both the rural and urban areas help GSM individuals decide in which direction to move. While rural areas present with challenges such as social isolation within a homophobic/transphobic environment, urban areas also have their own unique set of challenges for the GSM population. In this chapter, we focus on various factors in both rural and urban settings that impact on the mental health of GSM population.

Impact of Edutainment Programme in Developing Life Skills with Specific Reference to Critical and Creative Thinking among Adolescent Students of Chattisgarh State

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22
Author(s):  
Shaiju PK ◽  
Rages John
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Life Skills ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
School Students ◽  
Government School ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Post Test

This study examined the influence of teaching methods, relevance, and effect of edutainment on the development of life skills. Using an Experimental research paradigm, the study compared the F values of Pre-test and Post-test of both Control and Experimental groups to know the influence of different variables on each other. The study was conducted in rural and urban areas of Bastar district, Chattisgarh demonstrated that the means of edutainment used such as brainstorming sessions, games, screening of Hindi movie „Siddharth‟, and group discussions to convey subject matters like Human Rights, especially Rights of Children, were successful in developing both positive and creative thinking in them. The level of achievement using edutainment was more among Government school students, both in rural and urban areas.

scholarly journals Veterans� Attitudes Toward Smartphone App Use for Mental Health Care: Qualitative Study of Rurality and Age Differences (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha L Connolly ◽  
Christopher J Miller ◽  
Christopher J Koenig ◽  
Kara A Zamora ◽  
Patricia B Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Access To Care ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Adjunctive Treatment ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Rural And Urban

BACKGROUND Mental health smartphone apps provide support, skills, and symptom tracking on demand and come at minimal to no additional cost to patients. Although the Department of Veterans Affairs has established itself as a national leader in the creation of mental health apps, veterans’ attitudes regarding the use of these innovations are largely unknown, particularly among rural and aging populations who may benefit from increased access to care. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to examine veterans’ attitudes toward smartphone apps and to assess whether openness toward this technology varies by age or rurality. METHODS We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 66 veterans from rural and urban areas in Maine, Arkansas, and California. Eligible veterans aged 18 to 70 years had screened positive for postraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use disorder, or major depressive disorder, but a history of mental health service utilization was not required. Interviews were digitally recorded, professionally transcribed, and coded by a research team using an established codebook. We then conducted a thematic analysis of segments pertaining to smartphone use, informed by existing theories of technology adoption. RESULTS Interviews revealed a marked division regarding openness to mental health smartphone apps, such that veterans either expressed strongly positive or negative views about their usage, with few participants sharing ambivalent or neutral opinions. Differences emerged between rural and urban veterans’ attitudes, with rural veterans tending to oppose app usage, describe smartphones as hard to navigate, and cite barriers such as financial limitations and connectivity issues, more so than urban populations. Moreover, rural veterans more often described smartphones as being opposed to their values. Differences did not emerge between younger and older (≥50) veterans regarding beliefs that apps could be effective or compatible with their culture and identity. However, compared with younger veterans, older veterans more often reported not owning a smartphone and described this technology as being difficult to use. CONCLUSIONS Openness toward the use of smartphone apps in mental health treatment may vary based on rurality, and further exploration of the barriers cited by rural veterans is needed to improve access to care. In addition, findings indicate that older patients may be more open to integrating technology into their mental health care than providers might assume, although such patients may have more trouble navigating these devices and may benefit from simplified app designs or smartphone training. Given the strong opinions expressed either for or against smartphone apps, our findings suggest that apps may not be an ideal adjunctive treatment for all patients, but it is important to identify those who are open to and may greatly benefit from this technology.

scholarly journals Mental health and its influencing factors among left-behind children in South China: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu Zhang ◽  
Mengjie Li ◽  
Li Guo ◽  
Yanna Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Communication Frequency

Abstract Background With rapid development of China’s economy, there were over 68.7 million left-behind children (LBC) in China whose mental health has become a problem of public concern. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the status of mental health and its associated factors of LBC aged 3–16 years old in both rural and urban areas. Methods A total of 4187 children (aged 3–16), including 1471 LBC and 2716 non-left-behind children (NLBC), were recruited from 50 communities (22 in urban areas and 28 in rural areas) in Guangdong, China in August, 2014. The mental health problems were assessed using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results No statistically significant difference of SDQ subscales scores about difficulties were found between LBC and NLBC on the whole participants as well as in rural areas or in urban areas within the same age group after adjustments were made (all p > 0.05). However, compared with NLBC in the same areas, urban LBC tended to have higher prosocial behaviours scores, while rural LBC had the lowest prosocial behaviours scores not only in the whole age group but also in different age subgroups (p < 0.05). Besides, compared with urban LBC, rural LBC were not worse in SDQ subscales scores except for prosocial behaviour at 7–9 age group (p = 0.003). Furthermore, higher paternal educational level and longer duration of parental absence, were associated with less difficulties in both rural and urban LBC. Besides, shorter duration of talk per-time but higher communication frequency were associated with less difficulties in rural LBC. Conclusions The present study demonstrated that in general, no difference of mental health problems were found between LBC and NLBC. Besides, longer duration of parental absence, shorter duration of talk per time but more communication frequency, and higher paternal educational level tend to have better development of mental health. The findings reinforce the importance of the stability of caregivers and the effective parent-child communication for Chinese rural LBC.

Gender and National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policies in Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 46-58
Author(s):  
Stella E. Igun
Keyword(s):  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Communication Technology ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Gender Aspects ◽  
And Gender ◽  
National Information

This chapter discusses the importance of incorporating gender aspects into the national ICT policies in Africa. The mention of gender issues in national ICT policies in Africa is still very scanty (where they exist). Many countries in Africa have no clear gender aspects incorporated into their national ICT policies. The chapter focuses on the imperativeness of ICTs to the livelihood of women in Africa, the need and urgency of increasing and encouraging women participation in all aspects of ICTs. The enactment and implementation of ICT policies and strategies targeting women population in both rural and urban areas is inevitable. Thus, status of gender inequality of ICT in Africa, strategies geared towards addressing gender inequalities in ICT in Africa and gender and ICT perspectives were discussed.

Regional Poverty and Its Determinants in Iran

2009 ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Ashan Shooshtarian ◽  
Mohammad Bakhshoodeh
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Regional Differences ◽  
Poverty Rate ◽  
Asset Ownership ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Household Data ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Poverty Lines ◽  
Antipoverty Programs

Household data were used in this study to measure regional poverty and its determinants separately for ten defined zones in rural and urban areas in Iran in 2005. The non-parametric approach was used to estimate poverty lines for each zone and the effect of poverty determinants on poor and non-poor households was studied applying probit models. The findings indicate that poverty rate, gap, and intensity are higher in the urban areas. Family size, level of literacy, and asset ownership are amongst the various determinants of poverty. In general, the success of antipoverty programs depends highly on recognition of regional differences.

scholarly journals RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND ADOLESCENT RELIGIOSITY (Part 1: Urban and Rural Madrasah Aliyah Characteristics in Lombok Island)

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-215
Author(s):  
Mira Mareta
Keyword(s):  
Religious Education ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spiritual Development ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Religious Behavior ◽  
Adolescent Students ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Lombok Island

 The current social circumstances at the spiritual level have brought an enormous influence on the establishment of religious behavior in adolescent students, both in the level of belief, practice, and religious experience. Religious education in the madrasah environment has a strategic position in building students' religious behavior. This study aims to explain why the rural and urban madrasah environment context is essential to observe the role of religious education, especially Islamic education, in building students' religious behavior in Lombok island. Then it sorts out the madrasahs characteristics or uniqueness from the two different regions, rural and urban. This research is qualitative psychological research with ecological contextual theory as the theoretical framework. The data analysis method is descriptive and holistic by employing three flows of interacting activities, e.g., reducing data, presenting it, and drawing conclusions. Data was obtained through documentation, observation, and in-depth interviews. This research was conducted in six madrasahs, i.e., two Madrasah Aliyah located in the downtown, and four Madrasah Aliyah, which geographically represent the category of the rural madrasah. The research results indicate that the spiritual development of the students cannot be separated from the religious education context in their environment. In urban areas context, the madrasah environment has formal systemic characteristics, is supported by strong management and leadership, maintains the madrasah stability and conduciveness by implementing a power strategy through a set of rules and code of conduct. Meanwhile, madrasas in rural areas have flexible, dynamic, and adaptive characteristics, in which education takes into account cultural aspects and values applied in the community.

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