Urbanites more likely to suffer mental illness than country dwellers
A recent study has found that people living in the city are more likely to develop a mental illness, according to The Daily Mail.
The research, conducted by Cardiff University, examined the lifestyles of over 200,000 people from Sweden. They discovered that those living in cities were at a higher risk of suffering a mental illness than those who lived in villages.
Urban dwellers are also more likely to develop illnesses that cause personality changes.
"The clearest geographic pattern within this distribution of rates is that urban areas have a higher incidence of schizophrenia than rural areas," explained Dr Stanley Zammit who led the research.
It's not known what causes the link, but experts suggest that those living in urban areas are more likely to be ostracised by their neighbours. In fact, if people who have settled in towns and cities don't fit in, they are likely to experience discrimination which leads them to feel anxious and furthermore, develop a mental illness.
Counselling is one method of dealing with a mental illness because, unlike some medication which simply masks the symptoms, counselling courses tackle the cause of the illness. They help patients to deal with the underlying issue, rather than tricking their brain into feeling better. Counselling courses also work effectively alongside medication in many cases, especially those where the patient's condition is so severe that it would be dangerous not to medicate them.
