Mental Life and the Metropolis in Suburban America

Abstract

Many critics argue that America's suburbs foster depression and mental distress, but researchers have not sufficiently tested whether the characteristics that actually distinguish metropolitan places (both cities and suburbs) correspond to any differences in psychological well-being. Looking beyond inaccurate city-suburb dichotomies, the author examines the relationship between six characteristics of metropolitan places (population size, density, racial composition, affluence, age, and land use) and a variety of indicators of mental health, including depression, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, and esteem. Findings from multilevel data constructed from the Americans' Changing Lives Survey and the census indicate that two characteristics of metropolitan places relate to psychological health: population density and affluence. Residents of denser places are more likely to report depressed mood and dissatisfaction with their neighborhoods; those in more affluent places are more likely to be depressed, be less satisfied with life, and feel lower levels of self-efficacy and esteem.