Investigating the Relationship between Built Environment, Social Interactions and Depression in the Neighborhoods: a Conceptual Model

خیرخواه, زینب; Nemati Mehr, Marjan

Investigating the Relationship between Built Environment, Social Interactions and Depression in the Neighborhoods: a Conceptual Model

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

ز. خیرخواه ¹

M. Nemati Mehr ²

¹ Shahid Beheshti University student

² 3Associate Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Design, School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of this study is to present a conceptual model related to the direct impact of built environment on the depression of urban residents and its indirect impact through social interactions and the ranking of influential elements.

Methods: A descriptive-analytical approach has been applied in this study and qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to achieve the goal of the study. The study has 3 main parts: In the first part, the concepts of research and the relationship between them have been investigated by searching the sources and and analyzing them to explain the direct and indirect effect of the built environment on depression. In the second part, using experts' questionnaire and Shannon entropy method, the significant coefficient of the elements and their ranking were determined. In the third part, the conceptual model of the study is presented based on the relationships between the concepts of the research.

Findings: Based on Shannon entropy method, Among the influential elements of the environment, green spaces and parks in residential areas have the highest significant coefficient and are ranked first in the impact on the depression of urban residents, followed by public spaces, noise pollution, environmental security and indoor environment quality, air pollution, pedestrian network, visual pollution and public transportation are among the 10 main elements. According to the conceptual model, factors affecting depression include micro scales (individual), meso scale (local community) and macro scale (fundamental) which the elements of the meso-scale environment interact with other micro- and macro-scale factors directly and indirectly affect the residents' depression.

Conclusion: According to the ranking of the influential elements of the environment and the high significant coefficient of green and public spaces, neighborhood green spaces and parks should be given more attention, and with the appropriate design of public spaces and suitable environments for pedestrians, create opportunities for social contact and the gathering of local residents in order to reduce the prevalence of depression in urban areas helped.

Keywords

built environment

Depression

Social Interactions

Conceptual model

Shannon entropy

Subjects

City and Health

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