Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T15:47:11.277Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Urban environment and mental health

A longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Odd Steffen Dalgard  and
Kristian Tambs
Odd Steffen Dalgard*
Affiliation:
National Institute of Public Health, Postboks 4404 Torshov, 0403 Oslo, Norway
Kristian Tambs
Affiliation:
National Institute of Public Health, Postboks 4404 Torshov, 0403 Oslo, Norway
*
Dr O. S. Dalgard. National Institute of Public Health, Section SAFU, Postboks 4404 Torshov, 0403 Oslo, Norway
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

In a follow-up survey from Oslo, 503 persons were re-interviewed using the same questionnaire after 10 years.

Method

The questionnaire includes questions about social support, social characteristics of the neighbourhood and mental health. Information about the neighbourhood was also gathered from key informants.

Results

Of the five types of neighbourhoods surveyed, only one showed marked change over time with respect to social characteristics. This was an initially poorly functioning neighbourhood with poor mental health among the residents, where substantial improvement took place as part of the further development of the area. Parallel with the improvement in social environment there was a significant improvement in mental health among those who continued to live in the same area, as opposed to those who continued to live in the other areas. Selective migration could not explain this finding.

Conclusions

The findings support the environment stress hypothesis, implying that the quality of a neighbourhood has an impact on mental health. The implications for psychiatric prevention are discussed.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 171 , Issue 6 , December 1997 , pp. 530 - 536
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Dalgard, O. S. (1986) Living conditions, social network and mental health. In Social Support Health and Disease (eds Isacsson, S. O. & Janzon, L.), pp. 71–87. Stockholm: Almquist & Wiksell.Google Scholar
Dalgard, O. S., Bjørk, S. & Tambs, K. (1995) Social support, negative life events and mental health. British Journal of Psychiatry, 166, 29–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Faris, R. H. & Dunham, H. W. (1939) Mental Disorders in Urban Areas. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Halpern, D. (1995) Mental Health and Built Environment. London: Taylor & Francis.Google Scholar
Hare, E. N. & Shaw, G. K. (1965) Mental Health on a New Housing Estate. Maudsley Monograph 12. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Kiers, H. A. L. (1990) SCA. A Program for Simultaneous Component Analysis of Variables Measured in Two or More Populations. Groningen: Pro Gamma.Google Scholar
Leighton, A. H. (1965) Poverty and social change. Scientific American, 212, 21–27.Google Scholar
Leighton, A. H., Leighton, D. C. & Danly, R. A. (1944) Validity in mental health surveys. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 3, 167–178.Google Scholar
Martin, F. M., Brotherston, J. H. F. & Chave, S. P. W. (1957) Incidence of neurosis in a new housing estate. British Journal of Psychiatry, 11, 196–202.Google Scholar
Taylor, S. (1938) Suburban neurosis. Lancet, i, 759–761.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, S. & Chave, S. (1964) Mental Health and Environment. London: Longman.Google Scholar
Tambs, K. (1991) Transmission of symptoms of anxiety and depression in nuclear families. Journal of Affective Disorders, 21, 117–126.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.