Social Isolation and Psychosis

Isolation, social fragmentation common to urban life may add to people's risk of developing psychotic disorders.
The Time (9/7, Park) "Wellness" blog reported that "life in the big city can...even promote a greater risk of developing a mental disorder, such as depression." To explain why, researchers examined data from "study of Swedish citizens born in 1972 and 1977, and found that the isolation and social fragmentation common to urban life added to people's risk of developing psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia." The investigators found that "while the development of psychoses is driven primarily by individual risk factors -- such as genetics or personal circumstances -- the disconnectedness of urban living could help explain why rates of psychotic disorders were higher in the city than in rural areas."
HealthDay (9/7, Preidt) quoted the study authors as saying, "Our findings highlight the concern that physical integration alone is not sufficient, but that some of the positive characteristics traditionally conferred by segregation, such as a localized sense of safety, cohesion, and community spirit, must also be maintained to enhance the mental health of individuals within the population." The study is published in the September issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, HealthDay noted.