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The built environment and mental health
1Department of Design and Environmental Analysis and Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. gwe1@cornell.edu
Summary
The built environment significantly impacts mental health, with factors like housing quality and noise affecting psychological distress. Further research is needed to understand these complex relationships and develop targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Public Health
- Urban Planning
Background:
- The built environment exerts direct and indirect influences on mental health outcomes.
- Existing research indicates associations between housing characteristics, environmental stressors, and psychological well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the multifaceted effects of the built environment on mental health.
- To identify specific environmental factors linked to psychological distress and well-being.
- To highlight gaps in current research and suggest future directions.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing findings on the built environment and mental health.
- Analysis of studies examining housing quality, crowding, noise, pollution, and daylight.
- Exploration of indirect pathways, including psychosocial factors.
Main Results:
- High-rise housing negatively affects women with young children; poor housing quality is linked to distress.
- Crowding, noise, air pollution, and insufficient daylight are associated with negative mental health effects.
- Environmental design influences psychiatric and Alzheimer's patients' adjustment; personal control and social support are mediated by the environment.
Conclusions:
- The built environment plays a crucial role in mental health, influencing distress and well-being through various direct and indirect mechanisms.
- Further prospective, longitudinal studies and experimental designs are essential to establish causality and develop effective models.
- Vulnerable populations disproportionately experience adverse environmental exposures, necessitating focused attention on cumulative risk.