Countless factors can affect the mental health and, although it seems strange, one of them turns out to be urbanism. The way in which cities are divided and the way in which the resident buildings are is vital in the danger of triggering pathologies and disorders.
The journal Science Advances published on Wednesday a study carried out in Denmark. “People who live in the suburbs of cities are at higher risk of depression than those who live in urban centers or in rural areas (…).
In this analysis, they inquired about “building density (the built-up area compared to open space)the height of these and the diagnoses of depression between 1990 and 2018 (75,650 cases)”, respectively.
“He risk The authors found it to be lower in rural areas and in areas of city centers that had open spaces, determinant factors to facilitate social interaction”.
meetings for mental health
The epidemiologist Pedro Gullón, who is a professor of public health at the University of Alcalá de Henares, listed the elements that make the meetings a reality, beyond making them possible as such.
“Meeting the neighbors when you go to buy bread, having squares with benches where you can sit and chator have parks to walk through, with equipment for children to play”.
With the results obtained, they aspire to “discourage the model of the residential neighborhood and the single-family home, but to study how to make these areas more accessible to spaces that favor socialization,” said the study’s lead author, Karen Chen.
“It is about improving walkability, bikeability and public transportation in areas which were originally focused on the automobile”, he settled.
Socialization level
Gullón explained that “residential neighborhoods, in general, are areas with chalets that are on the outskirts of cities, it is not a matter, therefore, of a worse economic level.” In his opinion, “the key lies in the level of socialization.”
According to the epidemiologist, “(The one in residential areas) It is an individualistic model, in which there is almost no interaction between neighbors. A pattern that can be related to worse coping with daily problems and a worsening of mental health.”
To generate “a sense of community, reciprocity and trust (social capital)” the connection between the inhabitants is important, reiterated the authors of the investigation. “They are elements that promote mental well-being and protect against depression,” they added.
However, “if an area has a high density of buildings, but no open areas, this can reduce sun exposure and increase the temperature inside, two environmental structures that increase the risk of depressive symptoms.”