Rural-urban migration patterns and mental health diagnoses of adolescents and young adults in British Columbia, Canada: a case-control study

Abstract

BackgroundThe identification of mental health problems early in life can increase the well-being of children and youth. Several studies have reported that youth who experience mental health disorders are also at a greater risk of developing psychopathological conditions later in life, suggesting that the ability of researchers and clinicians to identify mental health problems early in life may help prevent adult psychopathology. Using large-scale administrative data, this study examined whether permanent settlement and within-province migration patterns may be linked to mental health diagnoses among adolescents (15 to 19 years old), young adults (20 to 30 years old), and adults (30 years old and older) who grew up in rural or urban communities or migrated between types of community (N = 8,502).MethodsWe conducted a nested case-control study of the impact of rural compared to urban residence and rural-urban provincial migration patterns on diagnosis of mental health. Conditional logistic regression models were run with the following International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD-9) mental health diagnoses as the outcomes: neurotic disorders, personality disorder, acute reaction to stress, adjustment reaction, depression, alcohol dependence, and nondependent drug abuse. Analyses were conducted controlling for paternal mental health and sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsMental health diagnoses were selectively associated with stability and migration patterns. Specifically, adolescents and young adults who were born in and grew up in the same rural community were at lower risk of being diagnosed with acute reaction to stress (OR = 0.740) and depression (OR = 0.881) compared to their matched controls who were not born in and did not grow up in the same rural community. Furthermore, adolescents and young adults migrating between rural communities were at lower risk of being diagnosed with adjustment reaction (OR = 0.571) than those not migrating between rural communities. No differences were found for diagnoses of neurotic disorders, personality disorder, alcohol dependence, and nondependent drug abuse.ConclusionsThis study provides some compelling evidence of the protective role of rural environments in the development of specific mental health conditions (i.e., depression, adjustment reaction, and acute reaction to stress) among the children of sawmill workers in Western Canada.

Global health benefits of being raised in a rural setting: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey

“…Still, recent evidence of the induction of ‘sickness behavior’, which can often overlap with depression and anxiety disorders, by introduction of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL)‐1 and IL‐6, provides additional support for this potential mechanism. Previous studies also suggest that being born and raised in the same rural community is protective against developing mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress‐related conditions . Whereas migrating from a rural to an urban environment or even migrating between rural environments may be a risk factor for developing psychological disorders, the stability of being born and growing up in the same rural setting provides adolescents and adults a vital sense of security and control that buffers against psychological disease .…”

“…57 Whereas migrating from a rural to an urban environment or even migrating between rural environments may be a risk factor for developing psychological disorders, the stability of being born and growing up in the same rural setting provides adolescents and adults a vital sense of security and control that buffers against psychological disease. 57,58 Furthermore, another study suggests that social fragmentation, or reduced social cohesion, is an important neighborhood characteristic that accounts for the increased risk of developing psychosis in urbanized areas more so than individual characteristics alone. 59 It is also possible that living in a rural environment offers protection against negative life events, which have been shown to be associated with increased mental disorders.…”

“When I Retire, I’ll Move Out of the City”: Mental Well-being of the Elderly in Rural vs. Urban Settings

“…The "rural and small town" definition, i.e., the population living in a municipality outside the commuting zone of a larger urban center, has been recommended as a starting point [21]. Cities and densely populated areas tend to be associated with noise, agitation, stress, and anxiety [22] and people living there are at greater risk of suffering from poor mental health [23]. In contrast, rural areas can be expected to be quiet and peaceful, which has been identified as a reason for adults nearing retirement to express their desire to move out of the city [24].…”

Way of Life as Emphasizing Factors in the Progression of Idiophatic Scoliosis in Adolescence Era

“…In example it is a bigger mobility of osteomuscular structure at children in rural area, longer stay outside, a different diet, alcoholism, smoking, other commitments, habits and interests, etc. (10, 11, 12). …”