The relationship between neighborhood environmental qualities and depression among adolescents and young adults residing in Yazd city

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. in Urban Design, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

2 Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Design, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Depression is the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide, including in Iran, and it poses an important issue not only as a debilitating illness but also due to its associated disease burden, pathogenicity, suicide rates, and its destructive effects on societal function and the economy. Consequently, it is particularly sensitive among vulnerable groups, including adolescents and young adults. The psychological effects of the built environment, especially in neighborhoods where individuals interact for extended periods, on depression during the sensitive periods of adolescence and youth are undeniable. Today, the failure to focus on the quality of the neighborhood environment contributes to negative sentiments, which are linked to depression in these demographic groups across urban areas. Thus, a critical problem is the insufficient attention to the direct impacts of the quality of the built environment on the depression of adolescents and young adults. This issue, exacerbated by the increasing prevalence of depression in urban settings, highlights the necessity for cooperation in urban design and the development of foundational understandings from an urban design perspective, adopting a comprehensive approach. However, few studies have investigated this issue among these populations in Asian countries, particularly in Iran. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to assess the potential of urban design in neighborhoods to reduce depression among adolescents and young adults living in these areas. Accordingly, this article explores the effects of neighborhood environmental qualities on depression in Yazd, Iran.This research utilized a quantitative method and was conducted as a survey-type study. Data were collected from 194 individuals aged 15 to 35 residing in three neighborhoods of the city: historical, middle, and new. The qualities of the objective and perceived environment, as well as measures of depression, were assessed through the Analytical Audit Tool (for evaluating the objective environment of the neighborhoods), NEWS-Y (for measuring neighborhood environments based on residents’ perceptions), and the BDI-II (for assessing residents’ depression). Regression analysis and ANOVA tests were employed to analyze the relationships. The findings indicated that, except for legibility, permeability, and climatic comfort, the qualities of land use diversity, security, safety, housing quality, sociability, aesthetics, sensory richness, place attachment, and environmental cleanliness were significantly and inversely related to depression. Therefore, functional, ecological, and experiential-aesthetic qualities have a relationship with depression. Additionally, based on the results, the role of environmental quality in depression is significant due to the multitude of influencing factors involved. This relationship is stronger in the historical neighborhood, which has lower environmental quality, but its intensity decreases in the middle and new neighborhoods, which possess higher environmental quality. As a result, the prevention and treatment of depression require a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach in which the quality of the built environment and the principles of urban design play a critical role. Therefore, improving the environmental quality of neighborhoods can serve as an effective adaptive strategy for reducing depression among adolescents and young adults, particularly in historical neighborhoods, thus yielding more stable outcomes alongside the broader benefit of reducing public depression.

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References

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Journal of Architecture and Urban Planning
Volume 17, Issue 46
April 2025
Pages 50-71

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