Do cities make you go crazy? On the link between urban living and psychosis

2016-07-20T13:08:00-04:00

The link between psychosis and city living was first noticed by American psychiatrists in the early 1900s who found that asylum patients were more likely to come from built-up areas. This association was sporadically rediscovered throughout the following century until researchers verified the association from the 1990s onwards with systematic and statistically controlled studies that tested people in the community as well as in clinics.

While the data shows a clear link between city living and schizophrenia, the correlation doesn't hold for other mental health afflictions like depression. This signifies that the city doesn't necessarily have a general detrimental effect on well-being. And there's no conclusive proof that the city causes psychosis, even if there's clearly some relationship going on.

For more public health matters related to urban life, check out these links:

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Do cities make you go crazy? On the link between urban living and psychosis