Eco-conspiracy, or something more sinister?

[andrewducker]

Levels of urbanization have increased dramatically this century.
As have levels of depression.
The linking factoid being the results of a recent study showing that walks in the country reduce levels of depression and stress in 71% of people. Going for a walk in a shopping centre, on the other hand, made 22% of people _more_ depressed.

Comments

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested to see if depression rates vary significantly among first world nations. If they are lower in the US, Canada, and Australia than in the EU, then urbanization may well be to blame, since these nations are all significantly less urbanized than the EU. OTOH, if rates are either higher in these nations or roughly the same, then some other cause must be at work.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

Actually I believe the highest proximate cause in "Western" depression is lack of light/long winters - certainly the highest suicide rates have traditionally been in Scandinavian countries, Norway, Finland etc (which otherwise have admirably good lifestyles). I wonder what they're like in Canada - but about 90% of Canadian population lives within 10 miles of the US border or something insane like that so clearly Arctic population very low..

[davidcook.livejournal.com]

A small nitpick - Australia is highly urbanised, 92% according to this data, comparable to the high end of EU rates of urbanisation (which range from 60% in Finland to 98% in Belgium). Canada is at 79%, and the USA at 78%. However, the population density in Australia's urban areas is far lower than most places (especially the EU), and it is a bit easier to "get away from it all" (i.e. go where the other people aren't).

[nwhyte]

I find a walk in a bookshop tends to reduce my levels of depression and stress!

[kelly-lesbo.livejournal.com]

Urbanization has been going on for hundreds of years all over the globe, but then so have many things in the lives of humans. My personal theory is that being a self aware being is by it's very nature a depressing prospect. It seems the less aware you are of yourself or your affect on others the happier you can be. I'm happiest when I'm high as a kite or drunk. I'm happy when I'm high because I'm all awareness and forget about being a human and when I'm drunk I forget to think and I'm all emotion and being in the moment.

I often wonder at the weird coincidence that I seem to be at a point in evolution where I am halfway between living in a cave and forseeing an age of technological wizadry, my physical form is halfway between beast and god. Maybe it's tautological, but I suspect this experience has much more measure to it than chance.

God I'm depressed.

[purpletigron.livejournal.com]

I think that cities are convenient, and can be exciting, but the collective fouling of the nest is depressing.

[andrewducker]

Oh, agreed. I think cities have loads of plus points.

But the only reason I can live in Edinburgh is that it's not a proper city.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

'levels of depression' (e.g. diagnosis and reporting of depression) have increased for a variety of reasons, including:

1. more socially acceptable -- especially for men -- to admit it and ask for help
2. more effective treatments, chemical and psychiatric, now available
3. rise of victim culture (that's probably not the best way of putting it, but the 'hello doctor, can't cope it is all Too Much, please sign me off werk' approach).

[ninox.livejournal.com]

I'm certainly one of the 22%. I dislike towns never mind cities. Stirling and it's breeze block & innovative use of concrete drove me insane every now and then.

Reminds me of the one quote I like from the bible (Isaiah 5.8) "Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land."

I still remember the bizarre facts from my ranger training days that recreationally people prefer going to places with water features and judge facilities by their toilets. Wish I could remember the study it was taken from.