School of Nursing.
Mental Health Research Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR.
Curr Opin Psychiatry. 2024 May 1;37(3):172-176. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000930. Epub 2024 Feb 13.
Urbanization is a multifaceted process that can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, especially in adolescents. This paper attempts to summarize the impact of urbanization on youth mental health in Hong Kong.
Several studies have shown that urbanization is associated with an increased risk of youth mental health problems in Hong Kong. Psychosocial factors like perceived stress, social isolation, and exposure to environmental pollutants may contribute to a negative association between urbanization and mental health issues. Academic pressure, poor transparency and accessibility to mental health services in Hong Kong further exacerbate youth's mental health wellbeing. Environmental factors like housing conditions, green spaces, and visible urban greenery have been found to influence mental health outcomes. Existing empirical studies have found a positive association between urbanization and mental health problems, while others have found no association or even a negative association.
Further research is warranted to investigate the complex relationship between urbanization and youth mental health in Hong Kong. Exploration of effective interventions is necessary to mitigate the negative impacts of urbanization on youth mental health. Understanding this relationship can inform health policy-making and formulate interventions to promote youth's mental health well being in the short-and long run.
目的综述：城市化是一个多方面的过程，它对心理健康既有积极影响，也有消极影响，尤其是在青少年中。本文试图总结城市化对香港青少年心理健康的影响。
最近的发现：多项研究表明，城市化与香港青少年心理健康问题的风险增加有关。心理社会因素，如感知到的压力、社会孤立和接触环境污染物，可能导致城市化与心理健康问题之间的负面关联。香港学术压力大，心理健康服务透明度和可及性差，进一步加剧了青少年的心理健康问题。环境因素，如住房条件、绿地和可见的城市绿化，也被发现会影响心理健康结果。现有的实证研究发现城市化与心理健康问题之间存在正相关，而其他研究则发现没有关联，甚至存在负相关。
总结：需要进一步研究以调查城市化与香港青少年心理健康之间的复杂关系。有必要探索有效的干预措施，以减轻城市化对青少年心理健康的负面影响。了解这种关系可以为短期和长期的促进青少年心理健康的卫生政策制定和干预措施提供信息。
