[Are urban dwellers more depressed and anxious than the rural population? Results of a representative survey].

This study investigates the association between urbanicity and mental health in the general population. We conducted a representative survey (N = 5,036) measuring depression (PHQ-2), anxiety (GAD-2) as well as life satisfaction (FLZM). Results support the assumption that the prevalence rate for pathological scores of depression and anxiety are higher in urban than in rural areas. But, there is no clear linear association between urbanicity and mental health. Urbanicity seems to be a distal factor for higher rates in anxiety and depression. Urban-rural differences in other studies can not be transferred to the German population that easily. Future studies have to take variables on an individual and community level into account to analyse the relationship between urbanicity and mental health.