Nature： What is a city that is good for young people’s mental health？

Among the six urban characteristics summarized in this study, providing opportunities and guarantees for young people’s development and self-realization is the most critical. Young people also long for an open, respectful and independent social communication environment.

Protecting the mental health of teenagers is not only beneficial to the development of the city itself, but also fundamentally promotes the development of the country.

Cold high-rise buildings, crowded and unfamiliar people, long commuting and busy work … Although cities provide people with opportunities for health, education and economic growth, atomized urban life can easily have a negative impact on people’s mental health, especially for young people in the period of physical and mental development.

What does the city need to do to protect the mental health of young people? Recently, a study collected the opinions of residents from many countries and outlined the appearance of a livable city for their inner youth.

This study was published in the journal Nature on March 7, 2024 (published online on February 21), and was jointly completed by 30 authors from different countries and institutions. Through several rounds of questionnaires to 518 respondents (45% aged 25-35) from 53 countries, including China, the researchers identified and summarized 37 urban features that are beneficial to young people’s mental health.

Researchers classify these characteristics according to six dimensions of urban ecological model, namely: personal, interpersonal, community, organization, policy and environment. They also rank these standards comprehensively according to three different frameworks (immediate impact on the mental health of young people in cities, ability to help young people thrive in cities, and ease or feasibility of implementation).

Finally, on the basis of these characteristics, the authors put forward some intervention policies for schools, communities and other urban institutions, thus providing a better environment for young people.

Researchers believe that protecting teenagers’ mental health is not only beneficial to the development of the city itself, but also fundamentally promotes the development of the country. "The actions for the mental health of teenagers are in the same direction as the actions of the country to achieve its development goals. Collective actions that coordinate and arouse social concern in these areas are not only beneficial to young people, but also to cities. " The study wrote.

Self-development, mutual respect and independence

Among the six urban characteristics summarized in this study, "providing opportunities and guarantees for young people to develop and realize themselves" is the most critical. At the same time, young people also long for an open, respectful and independent social communication environment.

In the personal field, imparting life and work skills and providing young people with development opportunities are considered to be the most important urban features, while respecting the privacy and independence of young people is in the second place. In addition, it can provide emotional value and motivation to overcome challenges, help young people look forward to the future, and provide related emotional resources such as learning, reflection, perseverance, passion and empathy, which is also what individuals hope to obtain from urban life.

In the interpersonal field, mutual respect and independent self-esteem are considered as ideal interpersonal relationships for young people. "Create an open environment where everyone can respect the feelings, opinions and choices of young people" won the highest score. In addition, young people also hope to be safe and healthy in their relationships, have critical and constructive communication, and have the courage to assume intergenerational responsibilities.

In the field of community, young people want to get a safe and free public space to gather, socialize, learn and connect with each other. All areas of community life should be open to young people and provide opportunities to serve the community.

In the field of individual-interpersonal-community, self-realization and independent social interaction can promote the mental health of young people in urban life, while the field of organization-policy-environment further provides relevant resources and opportunities.

In the field of organization, "providing employment opportunities suitable for young people, so that young people have job security and satisfaction" won the highest score, a progressive and supportive education system ranked second, and friendly health services, including sexual and reproductive health services and mental health services tied for third place.

In the field of policy, the respondents said that urban design and planning should pay attention to the opinions of young people and pay attention to the needs of different genders. Young people also hate discrimination, and hope to create an equal environment in all aspects of race and gender, and reject all forms of violence.

Finally, in the field of environment, the highest score is to seek the solution of "social factors affecting young people’s mental health". Many psychological problems can be traced back to the social environment, and respondents said that these factors should be actively reflected and solved. In addition, healthy food, economic housing, green space, good public transportation and accessible public cultural activities are the keys to improve young people’s mental health.

Urban intervention: involving young people

The study points out that to intervene in urban organization, policy and environment in view of the above aspects, it needs the joint action of multiple urban departments and levels. "A clear plan may include convening meetings, building consensus on local priority interventions at local, regional and national levels, and making plans to attract stakeholders to jointly design implementation strategies."

These stakeholders include schools, health systems, families and communities, religious institutions, child protection and justice systems, civil society and the media.

Taking schools as an example, the study holds that schools should strengthen general intervention in mental health promotion, not only provide psychological care programs, but also adopt a "whole-school approach" to let students, families, communities and other institutions participate in the process of psychological services and improve academic achievements.

The research believes that expanding youth governance and attracting young people with diverse identities to participate in the joint design of mental health friendly city plans are the key to intervention.

Researchers take the "Growing Up Boulder" initiative in Boulder City, Nevada, USA as an example. The initiative is jointly run by the University of Colorado, Boulder City Hall, Boulder Valley School District, State Councilor Dorothy Rupert, local non-profit and commercial organizations, and local children and adolescents aged 0-18, aiming at creating a fairer and more sustainable community. Among them, young people participate in and design the city through community assessment, drawing, photo recording and communication with city representatives.

The study also mentioned that community-based large-scale intervention is also a means to create a psychologically friendly city, and took South Africa’s "stepping stones and creating futures" plan as an example. By providing "crossing obstacles" courses (about AIDS prevention and intimate relationship violence) and "creating the future" courses (about work knowledge) to community gender groups, the program has successfully reduced the violence of young men against their partners and improved women’s economic status.