Can imaginary mobilities be conducive to mental health?

Hyanggi Park

Social Science & Medicine, 2022, vol. 314, issue C

Abstract: Despite the growing interest in the relationship between physical mobility and mental health in health geography, there has been less attention to mobility in the non-physical imaginary realm and its effects on health. This study attempts to explore whether and how ‘imaginary mobilities’ can be conducive to mental health. It conceptualised imaginary mobilities and designed ‘Imaginary Travels’ as a type of imaginary mobility. To verify the research questions, 50 young unemployed people living in Seoul, South Korea, were examined (experimental group: n = 25; control group: n = 25). The results demonstrate the immediate and long-term therapeutic effects of Imaginary Travels as imaginary mobility using three psychological questionnaires in the quantitative analysis and data derived from interviews and diary entries in the qualitative analysis. The quantitative statistical analysis revealed significant effects in the experimental group in contrast to the control group. The qualitative analysis indicated that imaginary mobilities are conducive to mental health through immersing, exploring, and practising inner geographies. These findings have implications for understanding mobilities and their associated therapeutic qualities in the imaginary realm beyond the physical realm.

Keywords: Health geography; Imaginary mobilities; Imaginary travels; Therapeutic mobilities; Mental health; Young unemployed people (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:314:y:2022:i:c:s0277953622007961

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115490

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