Leaving the city for suburban life could trigger depression: researchers

mental health

To Brooke Kato

May 30, 2023 | 5:32 PM

The suburban American dream can be your worst nightmare.

People who live in suburbs are more likely to be depressed than those who live in concrete jungles, according to a new study.

was published in last week’s magazine scientific progressThe study found that depression risk was higher in medium-density, sprawling suburbs with low-rise buildings and single-family homes.

Stefan Bartel, Chief Scientist for Urban Sustainability at Stockholm University and Karen Cheng, Postdoctoral Fellow in Geography at Yale University, say long commute times, scarcity of open public spaces and low population densities contribute It may be contributing to the plummeting mental health, the report said. conversation.

An international team of researchers used satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to map Denmark’s growing urban areas over the course of 30 years. They then analyzed more than 75,000 depressed and 750,000 nondepressed residents, looking at location and per capita prevalence of mental illness.

Rural geography did not appear to increase the risk of developing depression, but people living in “low-rise or single-family suburbs” had the highest risk.

On the other hand, the lowest-risk areas were characterized by high-rise buildings in the “central”, suburbs with access to open spaces.

“The results do not show a clear correlation that dense urban centers affect depression,” Barthel and Chen added. “This may be because dense city centers offer relatively more opportunities for social networking and interaction, which can have a positive impact on mental health.”

their findings collide with previous ones research Anything suggestive of mental illness more The prevalence in big cities “shows how social humans are,” the researchers continued.

“At the end of the day, you need a certain density to create a vibrant community that supports shops, businesses and public transportation while at the same time benefiting from open space and allowing for restoration,” Barthel said. Chen said. Future city planning.

But the survey coincided with a mass exodus from the Big Apple, with disgruntled residents citing exorbitant spending, crime rates and poor education as reasons for moving.

Many have fled Manhattan in search of a quieter life elsewhere, and even the city’s most prominent influencers are fed up.

Content creator Carrie Wilson previously said, “It’s strange because it seems so easy to fall in love, make friends, meet people, and date in big cities.” ‘s Carrie Wilson previously told the Post. The city that never sleeps.