Understanding urbanicity: how interdisciplinary methods help to unravel the effects of the city on mental health

Lydia Krabbendam, Mark van Vugt, Philippe Conus, Ola Söderström, Lilith Abrahamyan Empson, Jim van Os, Anne-Kathrin J Fett

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Twenty-first century urbanization poses increasing challenges for mental health. Epidemiological studies have shown that mental health problems often accumulate in urban areas, compared to rural areas, and suggested possible underlying causes associated with the social and physical urban environments. Emerging work indicates complex urban effects that depend on many individual and contextual factors at the neighbourhood and country level and novel experimental work is starting to dissect potential underlying mechanisms. This review summarizes findings from epidemiology and population-based studies, neuroscience, experimental and experience-based research and illustrates how a combined approach can move the field towards an increased understanding of the urbanicity-mental health nexus.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1099-1110
Number of pages12
JournalPsychological medicine
Volume51
Issue number7
Early online date11 Mar 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2021

Keywords

  • Experience-based research
  • experimental research
  • mental health
  • neuroimaging
  • review
  • urban environment
  • urban upbringing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Understanding urbanicity: how interdisciplinary methods help to unravel the effects of the city on mental health'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this