Living environment impacts mental health, according to a study

Feeling safe in one's neighborhood, having a garden, participating in local life, or living in cramped accommodation, not socializing with neighbors: the living environment influences mental health, according to a study by the Paris Region Institute published Thursday, March 26.

In addition to individual and global factors (politics, economy, environment, etc.), the family or professional environment, the living environment plays a role in mental health, according to this survey by the urban planning agency of the Île-de-France region, based on data collected in 2023 from a sample of 3.803 adults aged 18 to 75 living in Île-de-France.

The vast majority of residents of the Île-de-France region appreciate their living environment: 81% say they feel good there, 80% feel safe, and 72% feel close to people they care about. For 71% of those surveyed, the presence of other residents is pleasant, and 68% report feeling close to their place of work or study, notes the Regional Health Observatory, the health department of the Paris Region Institute.

Psychological distress is much higher when the perception of one's living environment (housing, neighborhood, neighborhood) is poor: it affects 68% of those who do not feel good where they live, compared to 26% of those who are satisfied.

Nearly half of those who do not feel safe when walking around their homes show psychological distress, according to the authors.

The study also highlights the link between this distress and overcrowded housing (according to the INSEE definition) or housing without a garden.

Relationships with one's neighbors (talking, inviting each other over, doing favors...) also play a role.

The intensity of relationships with one's neighbors influences whether one finds their neighborhood pleasant: 92,1% of people with significant interactions appreciate their neighborhood, but this proportion falls to 70,6% when interactions are non-existent.

Regarding local life, women involved in an association show lower levels of psychological distress. This link is not observed for men.

Among men engaged in volunteer work, distress is more pronounced for those with a regular role than for those involved only occasionally. No significant difference is observed among women.

People who do not vote regularly in local elections are more often in psychological distress than others - but those involved as elected officials or candidates show higher levels of distress.

According to Public Health France, 15% of people in the Île-de-France region experienced a depressive episode in 2024.