Key Environmental Factors Affecting the Mental Health of Residents in Urban Residential Neighborhoods: A Case study of Sangi Neighborhood, Bushehr, Iran
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11113/ijbes.v12.n3.1517Keywords:
Environment, mental health, urban neighborhoods, Bushehr, IranAbstract
In recent years, mental health has emerged as a growing concern within residential settings of developing countries, where fast urbanization and environmental stressors have contributed to a rise in psychiatric disorders. Among the various factors influencing public health, the quality of the urban environment plays a significant role in supporting or undermining the mental well-being of residents. Within this broader context, this article explores the relationship between urban environmental conditions and mental health outcomes, focusing on the Sangi neighborhood in Bushehr City, Iran. By examining this specific case, the study seeks to uncover the key environmental and social variables that influence mental health in urban residential areas. This study employs descriptive-interpretive qualitative method, which has led to practical strategies for Sangi neighborhood. Twenty-four variables relevant to the subject were identified from reliable, up-to-date, and pertinent sources. These variables were then entered into MicMac software for cross-effects analysis. Pairwise comparisons between the variables were conducted using the Delphi method, with the involvement of five experts. The findings show that noise pollution and congestion, safety and security, participation in neighborhood affairs, sense of attachment to the neighborhood, social interactions, facilities and amenities within neighborhood, residents’ sense of happiness, vitality and diversity, social capital, adequate housing and social unity are among the effective and controllable key factors affecting the mental health of residents in Sangi. Also, variables such as cleanliness and natural light are known as effective and uncontrollable driving factors of mental health. Ultimately, the study formulates necessary operational strategies to improve the quality of the identified variables in Sangi neighborhood in Bushehr. The findings of this study can be applied on similar case studies in Iran and other countries.
References
Almedom, M. A. (2005). Social capital and mental health: An interdisciplinary review of primary evidence, Social Science & Medicine, 61:943–964.
Aries, MBC, Aarts, MPJ, van Hoof, J. (2013). Daylight and health: A review of the evidence and consequences for the built environment, Lighting Research and Technology, 47(1):1–22.
Assari, A, Birashk, B, Mousavi Nik, M, Naghdbishi, R. (2016) Impact of Built environment on Mental Health: Review of Tehran City in Iran, International Journal on Technical and physical problems of Engineering (IJTPE), 8(26): 81-87. Published by International Organization of IOTPE,
Azadeh, R., Mohammadi, J., & Doost, H. T. N. (2019). The relationship between urban environmental quality and mental health (depression scale): evidence from Iran. Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering, 13(2): 285-293.
Azadeh, S. R., Mohammadi, J., & Neshat Doost, H. T. (2021). Investigation the relationship between physical urban environmental Quality and Citizen’s Perception of Stress (Case study: Isfahan City). Motaleate Shahri, 10(37): 99-112.
Bao, Xuhui, Pan, Weigang, Shi, Mei, Ji, Ming. (2013). Life satisfaction and mental health in Chinese adults, Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 41(10): 1597–1604.
Barnes, R., Michael, L. Donahue, Marie, L. Keeler, Bonnie, M. Shorb, Cameron, Z. Mohtadi, Tara, J. Shelby, Lacy. (2019). Characterizing Nature and Participant Experience in Studies of Nature Exposure for Positive Mental Health: An Integrative Review, Frontiers in Psychology, 9:1-8.
Barros, Paula, Ng Fat, Linda, M.T. Garcia, Leandro, Slovic, Anne Dorothée, Thomopoulos, Nikolas, Herick de Sá, Thiago, Morais, Pedro, S. Mindell, Jennifer (2019). Social consequences and mental health outcomes of living in high-rise residential buildings and the influence of planning, urban design and architectural decisions: A systematic review, Cities, 93: 263- 272.
Bhui, Kamaldeep, B. Newbury, Joanne, M. Latham, Rachel, Ucci, Marcella, A. Nasir, Zaheer, Turner, Briony, O’Leary, Catherine, L. Fisher, Helen, Marczylo, Emma, Douglas, Philippa, Stansfeld, Stephen, K. Jackson, Simon, Tyrrel, Sean, Rzhetsky, Andrey, Kinnersley, Rob, Kumar, Prashant, Duchaine, Caroline, Coulon, Frederic (2023). Air quality and mental health: evidence, challenges and future directions, BJPsych Open. 9(120): 1–12.
Callaghan, A., McCombe, G., Harrold, A., McMeel, C., Mills, G., Moore-Cherry, N., Cullen, W. (2021). The impact of green spaces on mental health in urban settings: a scoping review, Journal of Mental Health, 30(2): 179-193.
Capone, Vincenza, Petrillo, Giovanna (2020). Mental health in teachers: Relationships with job satisfaction, efficacy beliefs, burnout and depression, Current Psychology, 39: 1757-1766.
Chan, Isabelle Y.S., Liu, Anita M.M. (2018). Effects of neighborhood building density, height, greenspace, and cleanliness on indoor environment and health of building occupants, Building and Environment, 145: 213-222.
Chen, Juan, Chen, Shuo. (2015). Mental health effects of perceived living environment and neighborhood safety in urbanizing China, Habitat International, 46: 101-110.
Clark, C., et al. (2006). The effect of the physical environment on mental well-being, Social Science & Medicine, 63(1): 1121–1135.
Clark, Charlotte, Myron, Rowan, Stansfeld, Stephen A, Candy, Bridget. (2007). A systematic review of the evidence on the effect of the built and physical environment on mental health, Journal of Public Mental Health, 6(2):14 – 27.
Dalgard, Odd Steffen, Tambs, Kristian. (1997). Urban environment and mental health: A longitudinal study, The British Journal of Psychiatry; London, 171:530-536.
Dannenberg, A.L., Frumkin, H.J., Jackson, R. (2011). Making Healthy Places, New York.
Das, M., & Bhattacharya, S. (2020). Socio-environmental stressors in urban slums: A study on mental health challenges in India, Journal of Health and Place, 65, 102394.
Dhirasasna, N., Suprun, E., MacAskill, S., Hafezi, M., & Sahin, O. (2021). A Systems Approach to Examining PhD Students’ Well-Being: An Australian Case. Systems, 9(1): 17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/systems9010017.
Domènech-Abella, Joan, Switsers, Lise, Mundó, Jordi, Dierckx, Eva, Dury, Sarah, De Donder, Liesbeth. (2021). The association between perceived social and physical environment and mental health among older adults: mediating effects of loneliness, Aging & Mental Health,25(5): 962-968.
Evans, G.W. & McCoy, J.M. (1998). When Buildings Don’t Work: The Role of Architecture in Human Health, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 18(1): 85-94.
Evans, G. W., et al. (2003). Housing quality and mental health. Psychological Science, 14(3): 190–193.
Evans, G. W., (2003). The Built Environment and Mental Health, Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 80(4): 536-555.
Faragher, E B, Cass, M, Cooper, C L. (2005). The relationship between job satisfaction and health: a meta-analysis, Occupational And Environmental Medicine. 62 (2): 105-112.
Fergusson, D. M., McLeod, G. F. H., Horwood, L. J., Swain, N. R., Chapple, S., Poulton, R. (2015). Life satisfaction and mental health problems (18 to 35 years), Psychological Medicine, 45: 2427–2436.
Ferguson, G., & Mace, R. (2015). Links between urbanization, poverty, and mental health in Sub-Saharan Africa, Social Science & Medicine, 146: 167–174.
Fisher, B. Lauren, C. Overholser, James, Ridley, Josephine, Braden, Abby, Rosoff, Cari (2015). From the Outside Looking In: Sense of Belonging, Depression, and Suicide Risk, Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 78(1): 29-41.
Franco Suglia, Shakira, S. Duarte, Cristiane, T. Sandel, Megan. (2011). Housing Quality, Housing Instability, and Maternal Mental Health, Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 88(6): 1105-1116.
Frank, L. D., Schmid, T. L., Sallis, J. F., Chapman, J., & Saelens, B. E. (2005). Linking objectively measured physical activity with objectively measured urban form: Findings from SMARTRAQ, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 28(2): 117–125.
Gabe, Jonathan, Williams, Paul. (1987). Women, Housing, and Mental Health, International Journal of Health Services, 17(4): 667- 679.
Galea, Sandro, Uddin, Monica, Koenen, Karestan. (2011). The urban environment and mental disorders, Epigenetics, 6(4): 400-404.
Ganji, Forouzan, Nekooee, Afsaneh, Safdari, Faranak, Parvin, Neda, Shafei, Akbar, Ganji, Hanife. (2012). The Relationship Between Mental Health and Social Solidarity Among Apartment Residents in Shahrekord, Iran, Iranian Journal Of Psychiatry And Behavioral Sciences. 6(1):20-25.
Gary, L., Tiffany, A. Stark, Sarah, A. LaVeist, Thomas. (2007). Neighborhood characteristics and mental health among African Americans and whites living in a racially integrated urban community, Health & Place, 13: 569-575.
Gong, Yi, Palmer, Stephen, Gallacher, John, Marsden, Terry, Fone, David. (2016). A systematic review of the relationship between objective measurements of the urban environment and psychological distress. Environment International. 96: 48–57.
Hahad, Omar, Kuntic, Marine, Al-Kindi, Sadeer, Kuntic, Ivana, Gilan, Donya, Petrowsk, Katja, Daiber, Andreas, Münzel, Thomas. (2024). Noise and mental health: evidence, mechanisms, and consequences, Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, 35(1):16-23. DOI: 10.1038/s41370-024-00642-5.
Hamano, Tsuyoshi, Fujisawa, Yoshikazu, Ishida, Yu, Subramanian, S. V, Kawachi, Ichiro, Shiwaku, Kuninori. (2010). Social Capital and Mental Health in Japan: A Multilevel Analysis, PLoS ONE, 5(10): 1-6.
Hawdon, James, Räsänen, Pekka, Oksanen, Atte, Ryan, John. (2012). Social Solidarity and Wellbeing after Critical Incidents: Three Cases of Mass Shootings, Journal of Critical Incident Analysis, 3(1): 2-25.
Jahanbakhsh, Heidar, Hosseini Koumleh, Mostafa, Sotoudeh Alambaz, Fatemeh. (2015). Methods and Techniques in Using Collective Memory in Urban Design: Achieving Social Sustainability in Urban Environments, Science Journal (CSJ), 36(4): 19-31.
Kasl, V., Stanislav, Harburg, E. (1975). Mental Health and the Urban Environment: Some Doubts and Second Thoughts, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 16(3): 268-282.
Kiecolt, K. Jill, Hughes, Michael, M. Keith, Verna. (2008). Race, social relationships, and mental health, Personal Relationships, 15: 229-245.
Kim, Joongbaeck. (2010). Neighborhood disadvantage and mental health: The role of neighborhood disorder and social relationships, Social Science Research, 39: 260–271.
Kitchen, Peter, Williams, Allison, Chowhan, James. (2012). Sense of Belonging and Mental Health in Hamilton, Ontario: An Intra-Urban Analysis, Social Indicators Research. 108: 277-297.
Kwon, Mizzo, Pickett, Drew, Lee, Yunsoo, Lee, Seung Jong. (2019). Neighborhood Physical Environments, Recreational Wellbeing, and Psychological Health, Applied Research in Quality of Life, 14(2): 1-19.
Li, P. F. Jonah, Wong, Y. Joel, Chao, Ruth C.-L. (2019). Happiness and meaning in life: Unique, differential, and indirect associations with mental health, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 32(3-4): 396-414.
Lukashok, A. K., & Lynch, K. (1956). Some Childhood Memories of the City. Journal of the American Institute of Planners, 22(3): 142–152.
Lynch, Kevin. (1960). The image of the city, MIT Press.
Mahindru, Aditya, Patil, Pradeep, Agrawal, Varun. (2023). Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review, Cureus 15(1): 1-7.
Maas, J., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P., De Vries, S., & Spreeuwenberg, P. (2006). Green space, urbanity, and health: how strong is the relation? Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 60(7): 587-592.
Melis, Giulia, Gelormino, Elena, Marra, Giulia, Ferracin, Elisa, Costa, Giuseppe. (2015). The Effects of the Urban Built Environment on Mental Health: A Cohort Study in a Large Northern Italian City, International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 12:14898-14915.
Mori, Yuko, Tiiri, Elina, Khanal, Prakash, Khakurel, Jayden, Mishina, Kaisa, Sourander, Andre. (2021). Feeling Unsafe at School and Associated Mental Health Difficulties among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Children (Basel), 8(232): 1-18.
Mouratidis, Kostas, Poortinga, Wouter. (2020). Built environment, urban vitality and social cohesion: Do vibrant neighborhoods foster strong communities? Landscape and Urban Planning, 204(103951): 1-9.
Naragatti, S., & Vadiraj, H. S. (2023). Scientific Evidence-Based Cleanliness: Empowering Environment and Harmony in Society. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 8(10): 1–5.
Noorbala, A.A., Bagheri Yazdi, S.A., Yasami, M.T., Mohammad.K.(2004). Mental health survey of the adult population in Iran, British Journal of Psychiatry, 184:70-73.
O’Campo, Patricia, Salmon, Christina, Burke, Jessica. (2009). Neighbourhoods and mental well-being: What are the pathways? Health & Place, 15: 56-68.
Ohrnberger, Julius, Fichera, Eleonora, Sutton, Matt. (2017). The relationship between physical and mental health: A mediation analysis, Social Science & Medicine, 195: 42-49.
Pan, Jinghu, Zhu, Xiuwei, Zhang, Xin. (2023). Urban Vitality Measurement and Influence Mechanism Detection in China, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20(46): 1-24.
Patel,Vikram, Garrison, Preston, De Jesus Mari, Jair, Minas, Harry, Prince, Martin, Saxena, Shekhar.(2008).The Lancet's series on global mental health: 1 year on, Viewpoint, 372(9646): 1354-1357.
Peprah, Prince, Agyemang Duah, Williams, Kwame Morgan, Anthony, Onyina, Ellen, Serwaa Asare, Evelyn. (2024).Diferences in physical and mental health symptoms among residents living near municipal solid waste sites: a cross-sectional study in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 43(34): 1-11.
Perry, M., Danielle, M. Tabb, Karen, Mendenhall, Ruby. (2015). Examining the Effects of Urban Neighborhoods on the Mental Health of Adolescent African American Males: A Qualitative Systematic Review, The Journal of Negro Education, 84(3): 254-268.
Pevalin, J. David, Reeves, Aaron, Baker, Emma, Bentley, Rebecca. (2017). The impact of persistent poor housing conditions on mental health: A longitudinal population-based study, Preventive Medicine, 105: 304-310.
Plowden, Ben. (2020). Creating healthy streets for sustainable cities – delivering public health benefits through redesigning London’s streets, Cities & Health, 4(2): 156-161.
Porter, Keshia M. Pollack, Prochnow, Tyler, Mahoney, Patricia, Delgado, Haley, Hamilton, Christina N. Bridges, Wilkins, Emily, Umstattd Meyer, M. Renée. (2019). Transforming City Streets to Promote Physical Activity and Health Equity, Health Affairs, 38(9): 1475–1483.
Qiu, Yingzhi, Liu, Yuqi, Liu, Yi, Li, Zhigang. (2019). Exploring the Linkage between the Neighborhood Environment and Mental Health in Guangzhou, China, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 16(3206): 1-15.
Schaefer-McDaniel, Nicole. (2009). Neighborhood stressors, perceived neighborhood quality, and child mental health in New York City, Health & Place, 15: 148-155.
Shahabi Shahmiri M, Boujari P, Sadat Fazeli Dehkordi Z, Khatami SM. Do Green Spaces Mitigate Mental Health Disorders in Tehran? Evidence from 358 Neighborhoods. HERD. 2024 Dec 5:19375867241304004. DOI: 10.1177/19375867241304004.
Stansfeld, S.A., Haines, M.M., Burr, M., Berry, B., Lercher, P. (2000). A Review of Environmental Noise and Mental Health, Noise & Health, 8: 1-8.
Stansfeld, S. A., & Matheson, M. P. (2003). Noise pollution: Non-auditory effects on health, British Medical Bulletin, 68(1): 243–257.
Tomioka, Kimiko, Kurumatani, Norio, Hosoi, Hiroshi. (2017). Positive and negative influences of social participation on physical and mental health among community-dwelling elderly aged 65–70 years: a cross-sectional study in Japan, BMC Geriatrics, 17(111): 1-13.
Vinti, Giovanni, Bauza, Valerie, Clasen, Thomas, Medlicott, Kate, Tudor, Terry, Zurbrügg, Christian, Vaccari, Mentore. (2021). Municipal Solid Waste Management and Adverse Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review, International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 18(4331): 1-26.
Von Schirnding, Yasmin. (2002). Health and sustainable development: can we rise to the challenge?, Public Health, 360(9333): 632-637.
Votruba, Nicole, Eaton, Julian, Prince, Martin, Thornicroft, Graham. (2014). The importance of global mental health for the Sustainable Development Goals, Journal of Mental Health,23(6): 283-286.
Wan, Jiangjun, Zhao, Yutong, Chen, Yun, Wang, Yanlan, Su, Yi, Song, Xueqian, Zhang, Shaoyao, Zhang, Chengyan, Zhu, Wei, Yang, Jinxiu. (2022). The Effects of Urban Neighborhood Environmental Evaluation and Health Service Facilities on Residents’ Self-Rated Physical and Mental Health: A Comparative and Empirical Survey, International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health. 19(4501):1-19.
Wang, Jie, Wei, Zhen, Yao, Nan, Li, Caifeng, Sun, Long. (2023). Association Between Sunlight Exposure and Mental Health: Evidence from a Special Population Without Sunlight in Work, Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 16: 1049-1057.
Wang, Lingling, Zhou, Ying, Wang, Furong, Ding, Lieyun, E.D.Love, Peter, Li, Shiqi. (2021). The Influence of the Built Environment on People’s Mental Health: An Empirical Classification of Causal Factors, Sustainable Cities and Society, 74(103185): 1-15.
Whitley, Rob, Harris, Maxine, E. Drake, Robert. (2008). Safety and Security in Small-Scale Recovery Housing for People with Severe Mental Illness: An Inner-City Case Study, Psychiatric Services, 59(2): 165-169.
White, M. P., Alcock, I., Wheeler, B. W., & Depledge, M. H. (2013). Would you be happier living in a greener urban area? A fixed-effects analysis of panel data. Psychological science, 24(6): 920-928.
Yen, I. H., & Kaplan, G. A. (1999). Neighborhood social environment and risk of death: Multilevel evidence from the Alameda County Study. International Journal of Epidemiology, 28(1): 90–94.
Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara, Somboonsook, Boonchai, Seubsman, Sam-ang, C. Sleigh, Adrian. (2012). Happiness, Mental Health, and Socio-Demographic Associations Among a National Cohort of Thai Adults, Journal of Happiness Studies. 13: 1019–1029.
Zeng, Xun, Yu, Yuanchun, Yang, San, Lv, Yang, Islam Sarker, Md Nazirul (2022). Urban Resilience for Urban Sustainability: Concepts, Dimensions, and Perspectives, Sustainability, 14(2481): 1-27.
Zhang, Tianyao, Har Chiu,Rebecca Lai, Chak Ho, Hung. (2019). Suburban neighborhood environments and depression: A case study of Guangzhou, China, Journal of Transport & Health, 15(100624): 1-16.
Zhang, Xiaoling, Li, Huan (2018). Urban resilience and urban sustainability: What we know and what do not know? Cities, 72: 141-148.
Zhang, Xin, Zhang, Xiaobo, Chen, Xi. (2017). Happiness in the Air: How Does a Dirty Sky Affect Mental Health and Subjective Well-being? GLO Discussion Paper, No. 56, Global Labor Organization (GLO), Maastricht.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright of articles that appear in International Journal of Built Environment and Sustainability belongs exclusively to Penerbit Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (Penerbit UTM Press). This copyright covers the rights to reproduce the article, including reprints, electronic reproductions or any other reproductions of similar nature.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- This Journal applies Creative Commons Licenses of CC-BY-NC-SA
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
