New Delhi, Oct 22: Youth mental health is an increasingly important public health concern globally, with growing attention on how the environments in which young people live, study and socialise may influence their wellbeing. In India, where rapid urbanisation is reshaping neighbourhoods and access to public spaces, understanding the relationship between the built environment, natural surroundings and mental health is becoming particularly relevant. While individual and social factors are central to mental wellbeing, researchers are also examining how everyday surroundings may contribute to health outcomes among young people.
Globally, research into the relationship between urban environments and mental health is exploring how access to green spaces, recreational facilities and other neighbourhood features may support wellbeing, while exposure to certain commercial environments may be associated with poorer outcomes. Examining these relationships at a population level can help researchers better understand how environmental factors interact with broader social and demographic influences, and inform future approaches to healthier community planning.
Against this backdrop, researchers at University of Canterbury, New Zealand, have led a nationwide study examining associations between neighbourhood environments and mental health among 957,381 young people aged 10–24 across New Zealand between 2013 and 2018. The study used the Healthy Location Index to assess 10 features of built and natural environments, including supermarkets, physical activity spaces, parks, reserves, rivers, lakes and coastlines, alongside fast-food outlets, alcohol outlets and gaming venues.
Published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the study found that greater exposure to health-constraining environments was associated with poorer mental health, particularly emotional disorders. Researchers also identified some evidence of higher odds of substance use and self-harm hospitalisations. In contrast, natural environments, particularly a combination of green and blue spaces, were associated with better mental health outcomes. These associations persisted after accounting for factors including deprivation, access to healthcare, age, gender and ethnicity.
The findings highlight the importance of considering neighbourhood environments as part of broader discussions around youth wellbeing and urban planning. While the research was conducted in New Zealand and does not establish causal relationships, it offers a basis for further investigation into how local environments may relate to young people’s mental health in other settings, including India.