Living in the city, a risk factor for anxiety?

This study by German and Canadian researchers confirms that many facets of urban life must be taken into account in mental health and that some areas of the brain associated with stress and anxiety are activated more in urban than rural . The research published in the online edition of the June 23 issue of Nature shows that live in the city is associated with higher activity in certain brain areas, but could not directly link this activity to the development and installation of social stress.


This research observed the brain activity in response to social stress among urban and rural populations. The study authors state that previous studies have shown that mental health problems, such as schizophrenia, anxiety and negative mood are more common among those who live or grow up in cities.


To test this theory, researchers at the University of Heidelberg in Germany and McGill University in Canada, volunteers exposed to negative verbal messages and asked them to solve puzzles while their brains were scanned by MRI, stress levels were assessed by measuring cortisol levels, heart rate and blood pressure were measured. Previous epidemiological studies have shown that the "urban" have a higher risk of psychological disorders including depression, schizophrenia and anxiety.


Living in the city was associated with higher activity in the amygdala, a brain region that reports of negative emotions and environmental threats. This area plays a very important role in anxiety disorders, depression and violent behavior. This activity is higher in the amygdala of the citizens. The increase in the activation of specific brain regions in response to social stress, can not be directly at this stage, linked to psychological disorders. In conclusion, brain activity differs between individuals high and living in urban vs. rural. These differences are identified in areas related to schizophrenia, anxiety and negative mood. But we can not determine why these differences in brain activity occurred and whether they are related to mental health problems or stress.

Posted in: Stress anxiety