You could become depressed if you leave the city for the outskirts.


Those who have moved to suburban areas may be risking their mental health by moving
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Moving to the suburbs for a peaceful life and a larger home sounds like the perfect option for individuals who are sick of the busy city centers.

But once there, a research suggests that good fortune may not always be in the cards.

People who live in expansive suburbs are more likely to suffer from depression because there are fewer nearby residents, which limits opportunities for socializing and cultivating a sense of community, both of which are beneficial to wellbeing.

Researcher Dr Karen Chen, from Yale University, USA, said: ‘People are spending more time in their cars doing things and not necessarily in local shops, restaurants and cafes, as they do in cities.’

Those who have moved to suburban areas may be risking their mental health by moving

Academics from Yale and Aarhus University in Denmark used satellite imagery and AI to map all built-up areas in the Scandinavian country over a 30-year period.

They analyzed the location of about 75,000 residents diagnosed with depression during that time period, along with more than 750,000 people of the same age without the condition.

The conclusion was that someone living in a suburban area is estimated to be 10 to 15 percent more likely to suffer from depression than an inner-city resident.

The study also found that a combination of high-rise and low-density housing was associated with the lowest risk of depression for urban dwellers.

It added that those living in buildings over 10 meters high with flats were generally no more depressed than those in lower buildings. Part of the reason may be the greater number of social interactions possible.

The study in the journal Science Advances is likely to be widely adopted in the UK as well.

Quitting city life for the suburbs could make you depressed, new study claims