Urbaniciity: Social exp

• Urbanicity


  The degree of urban character of a place
• Schizophrenia is more common in urban areas than in rural ones
• Research comparing inner-city Chicago with its outskirts

  • Found higher rates of the disorder in the densely populated areas
• Factors contributing to higher rates of schizophrenia in urban areas

  • Pollution
  • Overcrowding
  • Drug abuse
  • Exposure to toxins
  • Social stress
• The UN estimates that by 2050, 66% of the world's population will live in urban areas
• Social isolation


  Schizophrenics often report having fewer friends and limited social networks
• Why social isolation occurs

  Urban living and overcrowding can lead to social isolation, causing them to behave 'strangely' because they lack corrective feedback on their behavior
• Since the 1970s, Afro-Caribbean individuals have been diagnosed with schizophrenia at higher rates and are more often compulsorily admitted to psychiatric hospitals
• This isn't due to genetics, as studies in the Caribbean don't show the same risk
• Reason for higher rates in Afro-Caribbean migrants

  The stress of migrating to a different culture might explain these statistics
• Higher rates are also found in children of Afro-Caribbean migrants in the UK
• Reason for higher diagnosis rates in Afro-Caribbean individuals

  Societal and psychiatric discrimination likely contribute
• Does living in an urban environment increase the risk of schizophrenia


  Or does having schizophrenia make you more likely to live in an urban area?
• Social drift hypothesis


  After being diagnosed with schizophrenia, individuals' socioeconomic status declines, leading them to move to inner-city areas
• This might falsely suggest that urban living causes schizophrenia, rather than having an effect
• Research found that people at high risk for schizophrenia were less likely to develop it if they moved to rural areas, indicating a clear link between environment and the disorder
• Social isolation


  Might be a cause or effect of schizophrenia
• Much research supports its causal role
• One study found that single people living in neighborhoods were at greater risk of developing schizophrenia

  • Likely due to increased isolation and loneliness
• This suggests that social isolation can indeed be a valid cause of schizophrenia
• However, this cannot be certain