A. Tortorella, Italy
University of Perugia PsychiatryModerator of 2 Sessions
The rapid urbanization characterizing the modern era determined a relevant impact on global health, acting through different pathways. Anthropogenic actions contributed to exacerbate climate change in urban areas, causing several phenomena influencing urban citizens’ wellbeing. Implications on mental health were established in most recent times, representing a growing field of research. Indeed, the exposure to urban environment has been associated to a higher risk of developing serious mental disorders. The effects of frequently uncontrolled urbanism on mental health are expected to be correlated with several factors, such as higher level of pollutants, light changes, inflammatory mechanisms, unhealthy lifestyle, psychosocial determinants. In this complex scenery, environmental resilience is crucial in order to minimize vulnerabilities and possible risks connected to critical changes. Further interest on urbanization and climate change was also raised by the recent Covid-19 pandemic, since it was demonstrated that pollution may lead to significantly higher rates of death in people infected by the virus spread. In consideration of the implications that the Covid-19 pandemic presented on mental health, the role of environmental resilience as a possible protective factor will be critically analyzed. In addition, a critical reappraisal of the specific effects of climate change and related factors on mental health will be provided. The contribution of recent approaches such as the Ecological Momentary Assesment and the use of Big Data in the analysis of the environmental determinants of mental health will be also overviewed, considering possible future developments of research in this field specifically involving climate change.