Making cities mental health friendly for adolescents and young adults

Pamela Y. Collins (), Moitreyee Sinha, Tessa Concepcion, George Patton, Thaisa Way, Layla McCay, Augustina Mensa-Kwao, Helen Herrman, Evelyne Leeuw, Nalini Anand, Lukoye Atwoli, Nicole Bardikoff, Chantelle Booysen, Inés Bustamante, Yajun Chen, Kelly Davis, Tarun Dua, Nathaniel Foote, Matthew Hughsam, Damian Juma, Shisir Khanal, Manasi Kumar, Bina Lefkowitz, Peter McDermott, Modhurima Moitra, Yvonne Ochieng, Olayinka Omigbodun, Emily Queen, Jürgen Unützer, José Miguel Uribe-Restrepo, Miranda Wolpert and Lian Zeitz
Additional contact information
Pamela Y. Collins: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Moitreyee Sinha: citiesRISE
Tessa Concepcion: University of Washington
George Patton: University of Melbourne
Thaisa Way: Harvard University
Layla McCay: Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health
Augustina Mensa-Kwao: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Helen Herrman: Orygen
Evelyne Leeuw: Universite de Montreal
Nalini Anand: National Institutes of Health
Lukoye Atwoli: Aga Khan University
Nicole Bardikoff: Grand Challenges Canada
Chantelle Booysen: Good South Social Impact Enterprise
Inés Bustamante: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Yajun Chen: Sun Yat Sen University
Kelly Davis: Mental Health America
Tarun Dua: World Health Organization
Nathaniel Foote: The TruePoint Center
Matthew Hughsam: citiesRISE
Damian Juma: Healthy Brains Global Initiative
Shisir Khanal: Teach for Nepal
Manasi Kumar: New York University Grossman School of Medicine
Bina Lefkowitz: Sacramento County Board of Education
Peter McDermott: Fajara Associates
Modhurima Moitra: University of Washington
Yvonne Ochieng: Duke University
Olayinka Omigbodun: University of Ibadan
Emily Queen: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Jürgen Unützer: University of Washington
José Miguel Uribe-Restrepo: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Miranda Wolpert: Wellcome Trust
Lian Zeitz: Climate Mental Health Network

Nature, 2024, vol. 627, issue 8002, 137-148

Abstract: Abstract Urban life shapes the mental health of city dwellers, and although cities provide access to health, education and economic gain, urban environments are often detrimental to mental health1,2. Increasing urbanization over the next three decades will be accompanied by a growing population of children and adolescents living in cities3. Shaping the aspects of urban life that influence youth mental health could have an enormous impact on adolescent well-being and adult trajectories4. We invited a multidisciplinary, global group of researchers, practitioners, advocates and young people to complete sequential surveys to identify and prioritize the characteristics of a mental health-friendly city for young people. Here we show a set of ranked characteristic statements, grouped by personal, interpersonal, community, organizational, policy and environmental domains of intervention. Life skills for personal development, valuing and accepting young people’s ideas and choices, providing safe public space for social connection, employment and job security, centring youth input in urban planning and design, and addressing adverse social determinants were priorities by domain. We report the adversities that COVID-19 generated and link relevant actions to these data. Our findings highlight the need for intersectoral, multilevel intervention and for inclusive, equitable, participatory design of cities that support youth mental health.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07005-4

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