Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
05:33
Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
Published on: June 19, 2019
Living environments and mental symptoms and disorders
Yingying Xie1, Jiawei Liu2, Jiayuan Xu1
1Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging and State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China.
BMC Psychiatry
|July 10, 2026
Summary
Environmental factors significantly impact mental health, with area deprivation worsening symptoms and destination accessibility offering protection. This research identifies key environmental influences on mental well-being and psychiatric disorder onset.
Area of Science:
- Environmental science
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Living environments significantly influence mental health, yet the complex interplay between environmental factors and mental symptoms/disorders remains unclear.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for developing targeted mental health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively investigate the relationship between multiple environmental exposures and mental health symptoms.
- To predict the onset of psychiatric disorders based on environmental factors.
- To identify demographic-specific vulnerabilities (sex, age) in environmental influences on mental health.
Main Methods:
- Utilized UK Biobank data to analyze ten built and natural environmental exposures.
- Examined associations with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder symptoms, including subgroup analyses by sex and age.
- Investigated the predictive value of environmental exposures for incident psychiatric disorders over time using subgroup-specific models.
Main Results:
- Identified 18 significant associations between environmental factors and baseline mental symptoms; area deprivation was strongly linked to depression and anxiety.
- Destination accessibility and slope showed protective effects; area deprivation and air pollution explained over 80% of environmental influence.
- Longitudinal analysis revealed 25 associations between environmental predictors and new-onset psychiatric disorders, with destination accessibility reducing schizophrenia risk by 56.6%.
Conclusions:
- Uncovered novel environmental factors impacting mental health and identified distinct demographic vulnerabilities.
- Findings support precision public health strategies and evidence-based urban/environmental planning for mental health risk mitigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Dimensions of Health and Illness
The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.
01:28Causes of Social Behavior III: Biological and Environmental Influences
Social behavior is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between biological predispositions and environmental influences. This intricate interplay shapes how individuals think, feel, and act in various social contexts. Understanding these mechanisms requires insights from psychology, neuroscience, genetics, and evolutionary theory.Environmental Influences on Social BehaviorEnvironmental factors, including temperature, odors, and visual stimuli, play a crucial role in shaping...
01:22Microenvironments
Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
01:29Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
The development of psychological disorders, which are characterized by deviant, maladaptive, and personally distressing behaviors, has been explored through several theoretical approaches.
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
01:19Introduction to Psychological Disorders
Abnormal behavior, often referred to as mental illness, results from changes in brain function that influence thought patterns, behaviors, and social interactions. Psychologists and psychiatrists typically assess abnormal behavior using three primary criteria: deviance, maladaptation, and personal distress, particularly when these traits persist over long periods.
Deviant Behavior
Deviance in behavior refers to actions or thought patterns that significantly diverge from societal norms or...
Deviant Behavior
Deviance in behavior refers to actions or thought patterns that significantly diverge from societal norms or...