The Analysis of Place Attachment Role in Citizens' Depression Using Meta-Analysis method

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Master Student of Urban Design, Architecture & Urban Planning Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor of Urban Planning Department, Architecture and Urban Planning Faculty, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: In addition to physical dimension of a place, it also possesses an immaterial aspect that evokes emotions in its inhabitants. A place is not merely a shelter for human activities but also a phenomenon that, through interaction, humans imbue with meaning and develop an attachment to, sometimes to the extent that they even identify themselves with that place. The emotional connection between humans and places has been explored across various disciplines, particularly in the literature on architecture and urban planning. Depression has become a major social issue of global concern, which has seriously threatened the quality of an individual’s life. Although the relationship between community environment and depression has aroused heated debate, the empirical research on the relationship between community environment perception and public depression is still relatively insufficient. It is a mental disorder that impacts a person's thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and physical functioning. Those affected by depression experience overwhelming sadness, lose interest in activities they once enjoyed, and struggle to perform daily tasks. Depression is, in fact, an interdisciplinary issue, with its roots in the human psyche, the environment, society, and the human brain and body. Consequently, it requires a comprehensive approach to be properly understood and addressed. The sense of attachment to a place plays an undeniable role in influencing depression.
The Purpose of the Research: The primary objective of this research is to identify and analyze the various dimensions and components that contribute to the reduction of depression, with a particular emphasis on fostering a sense of place attachment among citizens. By understanding the elements that enhance place attachment, this study aims to provide insights into how urban environments can be designed or modified to mitigate depressive symptoms and improve overall mental well-being in the population.
Methodology: To achieve this goal, a meta-analysis research method was employed to identify and analyze relevant articles. The statistical population for this research includes scientific studies published as research articles on the role of place attachment in depression. To locate these articles, searches were conducted using the keywords 'place attachment' and 'depression' within urban environments across several databases: ScienceDirect, Sage, and Taylor & Francis for Latin sources, and Google Scholar, Elamnet, Civilica, and Normagz for Persian sources. The search covered publications from the year 2015 (1393 in the Iranian calendar) to 2023 (1402 in the Iranian calendar).
Findings and Discussion: The research findings encompass all the influential components of the built urban environment and the sense of place attachment on depression, which are examined across various dimensions such as physical, semantic, social, environmental, visual, and functional. A significant aspect of this research method involves applying parts of meta-analysis studies and systematically utilizing their statistical and qualitative results. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis of this research, including their classification and organization based on language, study scale, theoretical foundations, methodologies of selected articles, and geographic distribution, revealed several weaknesses through content analysis of the sources. These weaknesses include the absence of strong theoretical frameworks and foundational theories, the lack of specific geographic areas in some studies, and insufficient and unsatisfactory conclusions. The findings support the hypothesis that a strong sense of place attachment can act as a protective factor against depression.
Conclusion: By applying the meta-analysis method in this study, insights were gained into the complex relationship between place attachment and depression. The synthesis of selected research findings highlighted the multifaceted nature of this relationship and the impact of place attachment on depression. The analyses underscore the importance of considering place attachment as a significant factor in understanding and addressing depression. Moving forward, integrating these insights into practical applications can contribute to more comprehensive approaches for preventing depression, fostering environments that support positive connections with one's surroundings, and ultimately enhancing citizens' resilience and psychological well-being. The findings indicate that place attachment encompasses dimensions that influence the reduction of depression among citizens, which represents a key achievement of this research. It is recommended that future studies employ content analysis and qualitative research methods more extensively, and focus on smaller-scale research, including neighborhoods and city districts. Additionally, to achieve more robust results in this field, further research with a larger sample of articles is suggested.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Abdolahzade fard, A., & Shamsoddini, A. (2020). Neighborhood Environmental Quality and Its Role Regarding the Residents' Spiritual and Mental Health (Case Study of Sang Siyah District, Shiraz Metropolis). Urban Planning Knowledge, 4(2), 95-114. [In Persian]. doi: 10.22124/upk.2020.14650.1307
  2. Admiraal, J. F., Van den Born, R. J., Beringer, A., Bonaiuto, F., Cicero, L., Hiedanpää, J., ... & De Groot, W. T. (2017). Motivations for committed nature conservation action in Europe. Environmental Conservation, 44(2), 148-157. https://doi.org/10.1017/S037689291700008X
  3. Al-Shar’a, H. S., & Al-Manaseer, N. E. (2017). Contribution of Adult Attachment Patterns and Personality Factors in Explaining Depression. IUG Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies, 7(5601), 1-24. doi: 10.33976/IUGJEPS.V25I4.2414
  4. Appleyard, D., & Lintell, M. (1972). The environmental quality of city streets: the residents' viewpoint. Journal of the American institute of planners, 38(2), 84-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/01944367208977410
  5. Arasteh, M., & Heidarzadeh, E. (2021). Investigating the Factors Related to the Experience of Presence and Promotion of Citizens’ Mental Health in Natural Recreational Environments of Tabriz Province. Geography and Environmental Planning, 31(4), 95-112. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/ 10.22108/gep.2021.122683.1297
  6. Balali osquei, A., & Rishsefid Noushabadi, S. (2019). Investigating the effect of personal components of people on the level of satisfaction with the residential environment, a case study: District 5 of Tehran Municipality. Architecture, 3(15), 0-0. [In Persian]. https://sid.ir/paper/527094/fa
  7. Bessell, S. (2023). Childhood and belonging over time: narratives of identity across generations on Tasmania’s east coast. Children's Geographies, 21(1), 81-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2021.1985431
  8. Beyer, K. M., Kaltenbach, A., Szabo, A., Bogar, S., Nieto, F. J., & Malecki, K. M. (2014). Exposure to neighborhood green space and mental health: evidence from the survey of the health of Wisconsin. International journal of environmental research and public health, 11(3), 3453-3472. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph110303453
  9. Borrill, C., West, M., Shapiro, D., & Rees, A. (2000). Team working and effectiveness in health care. British Journal of Healthcare Management, 6(8), 364-371. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjhc.2000.6.8.19300
  10. Bradbury, S. (2020). Health sources: Reviewing the news. BDJ In Practice, 33(12), 26–27. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41404-020-0591-5
  11. Cross, J. E. (2001, November). Private property rights versus scenic views: A battle over place attachments. In 12th Headwaters Conference, Western State College. http://hdl.handle.net/10217/180311
  12. Dehghan, F., Golkar, K., & Hakimian, P. (2022). The Role of Urban Design on Mental Health: A Proposed Conceptual Framework for the Relationship between Urban Environmental Qualities and Mental Health of City-Dwellers, with an Emphasis on Depression. Armanshahr Architecture & Urban Development, 15(38), 199-215. [In Persian].https://doi.org/2AAUD10.22034
  13. Durlak, J. A., & Lipsey, M. W. (1991). A practitioner's guide to meta-analysis. American Journal of community psychology, 19, 291-332. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00938026
  14. Dzhambov, A. M. (2018). Residential green and blue space associated with better mental health: A pilot follow-up study in university students. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju, 69(4), 340-348. https://doi.org/10.2478/aiht-2018-69-3166
  15. Evans, J. J., Wilson, B. A., Needham, P., & Brentnall, S. U. E. (2003). Who makes good use of memory aids? Results of a survey of people with acquired brain injury. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 9(6), 925-935. doi:10.1017/S1355617703960127
  16. Falanga, R. (2022). Understanding place attachment through the lens of urban regeneration. Insights from Lisbon. Cities, 122, 103590. DOI 10.1016/j.cities.2022.103590
  17. Feng, X., Zhang, Z., & Chen, X. (2022). Paper analysis of the relevance of place attachment to environment-related behavior: a systematic literature review. Sustainability, 14(23), 16073. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316073
  18. Fullilove, M. T. (1996). Psychiatric implications of displacement: Contributions from the psychology of place. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 153(12), 1516–1523.https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.153.12.1516
  19. Galea, S., Ahern, J., Nandi, A., Tracy, M., Beard, J., & Vlahov, D. (2007). Urban neighborhood poverty and the incidence of depression in a population-based cohort study. Annals of epidemiology, 17(3), 171-179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2006.07.008
  20. Gaylord-Harden, N. K., Taylor, J. J., Campbell, C. L., Kesselring, C. M., & Grant, K. E. (2009). Maternal attachment and depressive symptoms in urban adolescents: The influence of coping strategies and gender. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38(5), 684-695. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410903103569
  21. Ghanbarian, R., Bamdad, A., & Imani, M. (2020). Explaining the Components of Sense of Place in Depression Treatment Approach: Content Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychological Research, 11(3), 243-262. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2020.294336.64340
  22. Gifford, R., & Lacombe, C. (2006). Housing quality and childrenȁ9s socioemotional health. Journal of Housing and the built Environment, 21, 177-189. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-006-9041-x
  23. Gokce, D., & Kickert, C. (2024). What if “sense of place” is already strong? An in-depth investigation in an award-winning American neighbourhood. Urban Design International, 29(1), 39-55. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-023-00226-z
  24. Gottwald, S., Albert, C., & Fagerholm, N. (2022). Combining sense of place theory with the ecosystem services concept: empirical insights and reflections from a participatory mapping study. Landscape Ecology, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01362-z
  25. Guo, Y., Wang, B., Li, W., & Xu, H. (2024). Deciphering the impacts of environmental perceptions on place attachment from the perspective of place of origin: A case study of rural China. Applied Geography, 162, 103165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2023.103165
  26. Hansmann, R., Hug, S. M., & Seeland, K. (2007). Restoration and stress relief through physical activities in forests and parks. Urban forestry & urban greening, 6(4), 213-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2007.08.004
  27. Hernández, B. (2021). Place attachment: Antecedents and consequences (Antecedentes y consecuencias del apego al lugar). PsyEcology, 12(1), 99-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/21711976.2020.1851879
  28. Hong, C., Xiong, X., Li, J., Ning, X., Qi, D., Yang, Y., ... & Luo, Y. (2022). Urbanization and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults in China. Frontiers In Public Health, 10, 1086248. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1086248
  29. Hosseini, S. F., & Soltani, M. (2018). A comparative investigation and analysis between the neighborhood concept in the traditional urban system in Iran and its similar patterns in contemporary period. The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar, 15(60), 15-28. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2018.62761
  30. Inalhan, G., Yang, E., & Weber, C. (2021). Place Attachment Theory: handbook of theories on designing alignment between people and the office environment. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003128830-16
  31. Kaplan, R., Kaplan, S., & Brown, T. (1989). Environmental preference: A comparison of four domains of predictors. Environment and behavior, 21(5), 509-530. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916589215001
  32. Korpela, K. M. (1989). Place-identity as a product of environmental self-regulation. Journal of Environmental psychology, 9(3), 241-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(89)80038-6
  33. Lai, C. H. (2019). Promising neuroimaging biomarkers in depression. Psychiatry investigation, 16(9), 662. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2019.07.25.2
  34. Lewicka, M. (2011). Place attachment: How far have we come in the last 40 years?. Journal of environmental psychology, 31(3), 207-230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2010.10.001
  35. Lingard, H., & Turner, M. (2023). Measuring sense of place in project environments to promote positive mental wellbeing. International Journal of Project Management, 41(6), 102503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2023.102503
  36. Lomas, M. J., Ayodeji, E., & Brown, P. (2024). Imagined places of the past: the interplay of time and memory in the maintenance of place attachment. Current Psychology, 43(3), 2618-2629. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04421-7
  37. Mair, C., Roux, A. V. D., & Morenoff, J. D. (2010). Neighborhood stressors and social support as predictors of depressive symptoms in the Chicago Community Adult Health Study. Health & place, 16(5), 811-819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.04.006
  38. Manahasa, E., & Manahasa, O. (2024). The role of landmarks in shaping Tirana’s urban identity: the shift from socialist to post-socialist city. European Planning Studies, 32(5), 1029-1058. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2023.2249508
  39. Manzo, L., & Devine-Wright, P. (2013). Place attachment: Advances in theory, methods and applications. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203757765
  40. Masterson, V. A., Enqvist, J. P., Stedman, R. C., & Tengö, M. (2019). Sense of place in social–ecological systems: From theory to empirics. Sustainability science, 14, 555-564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-019-00695-8
  41. Mayer, F. S., & Frantz, C. M. (2004). The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals’ feeling in community with nature. Journal of environmental psychology, 24(4), 503-515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2004.10.001
  42. McAndrew, C. (2012). Transforming Public Spaces—What Can We Learn from the Ontological Positioning of the ‘Site of the Social’. Iridescent, 2(1), 78-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/19235003.2012.11428504
  43. Melis, G., Gelormino, E., Marra, G., Ferracin, E., & Costa, G. (2015). The effects of the urban built environment on mental health: A cohort study in a large northern Italian city. International journal of environmental research and public health, 12(11), 14898-14915. doi: 10.3390/ijerph121114898
  44. Moore, G. T., & Marans, R. W. (Eds.). (2013). Toward the integration of theory, methods, research, and utilization. Boston: Springer Science & Business Media.
  45. Naeimi Forutanijad, F., Rahbarimanesh, K., Alborzi, F., & Khansari, S. (2019). Examining the importance of the physical components of architecture in types of residential complexes (scattered, strip, concentrated) on stress and depression (case study: 9 residential complexes in Tehran after the revolution). Environmental Studies, 15(56), 153-180. [In Persian]. https://sid.ir/paper/953241/fa
  46. Orstad, S. L., McDonough, M. H., Stapleton, S., Altincekic, C., & Troped, P. J. (2017). A systematic review of agreement between perceived and objective neighborhood environment measures and associations with physical activity outcomes. Environment and Behavior, 49(8), 904-932. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916516670982
  47. Pearson, D., & Gorman, J. (2023). Acknowledging landscape connection: Using sense of place and cultural and customary landscape management to enhance landscape ecological theoretical frameworks. Land, 12(4), 729. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040729
  48. Proshansky, H. M., Fabian, A. K., & Kaminoff, R. (2014). Place-identity: Physical world socialization of the self (1983). In The people, place, and space reader(pp. 77-81). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-4944(83)80021-8
  49. Rajala, K., Sorice, M. G., & Thomas, V. A. (2020). The meaning (s) of place: Identifying the structure of sense of place across a social–ecological landscape. People and Nature, 2(3), 718-733. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10112
  50. Saberi, N., Pourshahriari, M., & Abdollahi,, A. (2023). The moderating Role of Length of Residence in the Relationship between Place Attachment, Mental Health, and Social Well-being in Women Living in Tehran. Social Psychology Research, 13(50), 43-56. [In Persian]. https://doi.org/10.22034/spr.2023.389590.1823
  51. Sarkar, C. (2018). Towards quantifying the role of urban place factors in the production and socio-spatial distribution of mental health in city dwellers. Journal of Urban Design and Mental Health. (4)2. https://www.urbandesignmentalhealth.com/journal-4---quantifying-place-factors-in-mental-health.html
  52. Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2010). The relations between natural and civic place attachment and pro-environmental behavior. Journal of environmental psychology, 30(3), 289-297. https://doi.org/1016/j.jenvp.2010.01.010
  53. Stedman, R. C. (2003). Is it really just a social construction: The contribution of the physical environment to sense of place. Society &Natural Resources, 16(8), 671-685. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920309189
  54. Sullivan, W. C., & Chang, C. Y. (2011). Mental health and the built environment. Making healthy places: Designing and building for health, well-being, and sustainability, 106-116. DOI:5822/978-1-61091-036-1_7
  55. Sun, Y., Ng, M. K., Chao, T. Y. S., He, S., & Mok, S. H. (2024). The impact of place attachment on well-being for older people in high-density urban environment: a qualitative study. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 36(2), 241-261. doi:10.1080/08959420.2022.2111168
  56. Tabassum, T., Suzuki, T., Iwata, Y., & Ishiguro, H. (2023). Depression and associated factors among the elderly population in an urban tertiary geriatric hospital in Bangladesh. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 9, 23337214231178145. doi: 10.1177/23337214231178145
  57. Taylor, M. E., Conary, J. T., Lennartz, M. R., Stahl, P. D., & Drickamer, K. (1990). Primary structure of the mannose receptor contains multiple motifs resembling carbohydrate-recognition domains. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 265(21), 12156-12162. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9258(19)38325-5
  58. Tomita, A., Vandormael, A. M., Cuadros, D., Di Minin, E., Heikinheimo, V., Tanser, F., ... & Burns, J. K. (2017). Green environment and incident depression in South Africa: a geospatial analysis and mental health implications in a resource-limited setting. The Lancet Planetary Health, 1(4), 152-162. https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S2542519617300633
  59. Tuan, Y. F. (1975). Place: an experiential perspective. Geographical review, 151-165. https://doi.org/10.2307/213970
  60. Twigger-Ross, C. L., & Uzzell, D. L. (1996). Place and identity processes. Journal of environmental psychology, 16(3), 205-220. https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.1996.0017
  61. Tyson, A. R., Morozova, E. A., Karlstrom, K. E., Dueker, K. C. S. S. K., & Foster, C. T. (2002). Proterozoic Farwell Mountain–Lester Mountain suture zone, northern Colorado: Subduction flip and progressive assembly of arcs. Geology, 30(10), 943-946. https://doi.org/10.1130/00917613(2002)030<0943:PFMLMS>2.0.CO;2
  62. Van Riel, S. C., & Vogel, W. C. (2022). From a local to global sense of place. Journal of European Landscapes, 3(3), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.5117/JEL.2022.3.74294
  63. Violich, F. (1985). Towards revealing the sense of place: An intuitive “reading” of four Dalmatian towns. In Dwelling, place and environment: Towards a phenomenology of person and world(pp. 113-136). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-9251-7_8
  64. Wartmann, F. M., & Purves, R. S. (2018). Investigating sense of place as a cultural ecosystem service in different landscapes through the lens of language. Landscape and Urban Planning, 175, 169-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.03.021
  65. West, M., & George, C. (2002). Attachment and dysthymia: The contributions of preoccupied attachment and agency of self to depression in women. Attachment & Human Development, 4(3), 278-293. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730210167258
  66. Wood, L., Hooper, P., Foster, S., & Bull, F. (2017). Public green spaces and positive mental health–investigating the relationship between access, quantity and types of parks and mental wellbeing. Health & place, 48, 63-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.002
  67. Yang, Y., Feng, N., Zhou, T., & Liu, M. (2023). Place attachment buffers against the effect of perceived discrimination on psychological distress in Chinese migrant children: A two-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 91, 102152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102152
Urban Strategic Thought
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 4
September 2024
Pages 83-97

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics