Big or small, urban life is closely related to society and therefore individuals, and directly affects them. So what impact does the city have when it comes to mental health?
Life in the city is a sociological “issue”. Therefore ‘being urban’ We can easily say that the social effects of the state of mind are reflected on individuals. City; It has an impact on many values, from the individual’s walking speed to his perspective on diversity, from his approach to social interaction to the way he enters that interaction. But what about the mental health of individuals? Can we come across urban touches there, too? University of Chicago, He sought the answer to this question.
World Health Organization (WHO), health; defines it as a state of being healthy in body and soul together. Accordingly, in order for individuals to be defined as healthy, not only physically or mentally; They are expected to be healthy both physically and mentally. Mental health, which is observed to be in the second place compared to physical health, is one of the most recent issues supported by awareness campaigns both in Europe and the USA and on which individuals are asked to be conscious. Combining mental health and urban life in the USA, scientists from the University of Chicago analyzed the data of the surveys created by various organizations, especially Twitter, with social network analysis. It was stated that the aim of the analysis was to make sense of the effect of the city on the mental health of the individual based on cities in the USA.
The city has its pluses and minuses.
Scientists share the view that the city has both positive and negative effects on individuals:
- “Age of Stimuli” As individuals of the 21st century, which we can call our ’21st century’, being exposed to countless stimuli every day is not a choice for us, it is a necessity. Cities, as a social area that contains many stimuli; It supports the requirements of the age. This causes the individual’s mind to be overloaded and negatively affected spiritually.
- City means variety. The diversity of the city social life of individualsIt also adds such diversity. Individuals can choose according to their personal desires and tastes; can shape their social life accordingly.
Where to look for depression? In the big city or in the small city?
found in society ”big city = depression” inference, according to this research is a common misconception! Contrary to popular belief, scientists say that individuals living in big cities have a lower risk of developing depression compared to those living in small cities, and adds: “There is no correlation between the city’s growth rate and the risk of depression.”
How about depression in the big city?
It is difficult to establish satisfactory social relations in big cities and to maintain established relations; However, scientists state that social isolation is just as difficult in these cities, depending on the population, and this balance provides a resistance against depression. On the other hand, the balance current depression risk ratioIt is estimated that it can also have a positive effect on the economy and decrease this rate.
Scientists warn: Different studies are also necessary!
Of course, we cannot ignore this research; but the researcher Scientists especially underline that this research is based on cities in the USA and that different studies should be conducted on the same subject in order to reach a general conclusion.
RELATED NEWS