Ananya Iyer
For exam points
The claim that “sheher
tumhe paagal bana dega” (”the city will drive you mad”) is one that has been
made cliché by its use casually and clinically, by grandmothers and
researchers, alike. The origin of this statement and its validity to a layman
seems apparent, it lies in the aesthetic of “hectic”, “crowded” cities as
opposed to be “calm”, “serene” villages. In terms of psychology, there have
been numerous studies that ascribed causality or aggravation of mental
disorders, especially schizophrenia, to cities. However, the factors that
contribute to this causality in some cases, prove to be generalized or warped.
Since there are a large plethora of elements that can contribute to the onset
of psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia, it is understandably difficult for the
researcher to control all these elements in a study of schizophrenia, which may
then affect that statistics and conclusions of the experiment.
Factors such as migration
patterns, and splitting the demographic of the population in question are often
not initially considered in a psychological study. A study conducted by Joanne
Newbury et al. interviewed twins brought up in urban areas about their
psychotic experiences until the age of 18, such as paranoia, intense
suspicions, hallucinations, etc . It was found that 18-year-olds raised in urban
areas were 67% more likely to have experienced psychotic episodes, than those
raised in rural areas. The twins were part of a longer study, hence, then their
reports of symptoms were mapped with due consideration of “potential cofounders such as family
socioeconomic status, family psychiatric and adolescent substance problems,”
all of which can make an individual vulnerable to schizophrenia, regardless of
his/her place of residence. This accounting for related factors brought down
the objective risk of cities to 34%. There are certain aspects characteristic of cities that may cause a rise in the risk
of schizophrenia, such as higher rates of social isolation, high neighbor
disorder and higher chance of violent crime victimization. If cities especially
do cause schizophrenia, it is likely due to attributes like these. However,
these are not eternal or standard to and across all urban regions, for example,
many studies not that rates of crime against women are much higher in Delhi
than they are in Chennai. Also, the chawl system of residence, employed by
residents of low socioeconomic class, is said to have excellent social cohesion
among residents. Hence, assigning causality to them would be a case of
generalization, without producing a wholesome picture.
There are many other
studies that theorize on the association between urban residence and psychosis.
Many psychiatrists said that one of the
most recurring findings of schizophrenia research is “a higher prevalence of
psychosis in cities.” A Danish study assigned causality to city living by
demonstrating, in a population cohort of 1.89 million people, that the longer
an individual lives in a city, the
higher is the risk of developing schizophrenia. The experiment used a model of
5-level degree of urbanization, and found that “the more years lived in higher
the degree of urbanization, the greater the risk.” Individuals living in a
higher degree of urbanization than 5 years earlier, showed a 1.40 fold increase
in risk of schizophrenia, while individuals living in a lower degree of
urbanization than 5 years earlier showed a 0.82 fold degree in risk, in a sort
of “dose response.” However, the experimenters themselves agreed that the
obtained number of 35% increased risk of schizophrenia in cities could be due
to random chance and sample selection. Firstly, according to a study by Amir
Sariaslan, there are genetic variants that simultaneously increase the chances
of living in a deprived neighborhood (as found in cities) and increases chances
of developing psychosis. Also, due to availability of advanced facilities,
families with members who are troubled by mental disorders, as well as parents
whose children exhibit early signs of psychosis shift to cities. Historically
also, immigrants tend to gravitate towards cities, who are at higher risk of
developing psychosis, potentially because lack of understanding of local
language and culture increases one’s susceptibility to schizophrenia.
Thus, cities seem to
attract people vulnerable to schizophrenia rather than cause it. This study
also outlines well the difficulties tied with studying human personality
disorders, Cities may possess traits that may tip the scales one way or
another, however, it goes deeper than just saying “the city will drive you mad.”
Works referenced
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-living-in-a-city-make-you-psychotic/
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