Despite a broad theoretical consensus that the built environment influences health and well-being (Sallis et al., 2006), much more is known about ambient environment conditions (Baum et al., 1981; Evans, 2003; Wandersman et al., 1983), than direct mental health correlates of the built environment. Characteristics of the built environment can directly influence individuals’ mental health. Research into the influence of the built environment on individuals has identified multiple different determinants which can affect mental health and well-being (Christian et al., 2015; Davison & Lawson, 2006; Ding et al., 2011).
There are a large number of determinants which have been included in various studies, the most frequent being defined as housing (Evans, 2003; Hoisington et al., 2019; Nordbø et al., 2018; Satcher et al., 2012) inclusive of residential density and quality; green spaces, an individuals’ access and proximity to them and their quality (Francis et al., 2012; Nordbø et al., 2018; Satcher et al., 2012); and structural features of the built environment including the urban sprawl/density, transport links, proximity to roadways and accessibility to versatile places such as recreational and commercial areas (Garrido-Cumbrera et al., 2018; Nordbø et al., 2018; Pun et al., 2018; Satcher et al., 2012; Weich et al., 2002;). Due to the built environments’ interdisciplinary nature, prior research suggests that not all measures are relevant for each health outcome or all target groups (Forsyth et al., 2006). However, as outlined by environmental stress model studies, indirectly, mental health correlates of the built environment can also include personal control (Glass & Singer, 1972; Evans, 2001) and social support (Evans, 2003).
Studies show that ‘good housing’ is linked to faster recovery from mental health issues due to the association of control, protection, safety and privacy (Kirkpatrick & Bryne, 2009). As ‘having a good home is critical to the prevention of mental health problems and the promotion of recovery’ (Mental Health Taskforce, 2016), adults in the North East in contact with mental health services are often recorded as generally more likely to live in ‘stable and appropriate accommodation compared with the rest of England’ (Public Health England, 2018). Research investigating the effects of housing on physical and mental health outcomes are however usually from the perspective of social scientists who do not conduct ‘detailed or direct assessments of the home’ (Hoisington et al., 2019). Future research in this area needs a more rigorous approach to assessing housing quality (Adair et al., 2014).
Conclusions have been drawn that there are associations between built environment determinants and mental health (Galea et al., 2005; Miles et al., 2002; Weich et al., 2002), with findings from limited existing studies showing that housing density, land use and transportation are all linked to depressive symptoms (Satcher et al., 2012). Despite this, it is important to remain aware that rates of mental health conditions can also be dependent on other factors such as gender, race, sexual orientation, adverse early life experiences and family status (Hoisington et al., 2019).
‘A challenge associated with determining built environment elements that influence mental health outcomes is that there are multiple external interacting factors that are known to influence mental health’
(Hoisington et al., 2019)
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