A recent study at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) examined how built environment influences depressive symptoms among middle-aged adults and how certain kind of setup can fight depression. Explaining the nature of study, Dr. Koohsari said “This study used both perceived and objective measures of the built environment and focused on the less-studied age group of middle-aged adults.”
The “built environment” refers to man-made spaces meant for daily life, work, recreation which can be modified in design, structure, facilities, and services. The authors used the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) questionnaire to assess depressive symptoms among adults aged 40-64 years in two cities in Japan on factors such as population density, number of traffic intersections, and availability of destinations.
More details on the published research can be accessed here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204622003000?via%3Dihub
News Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-12-japan-built-environment-depression.html