City Living Linked to Risk of Psychotic Symptoms

July 15, 2001 10:19 AM

City Living Linked to Risk of Psychotic Symptoms Growing up in the suburbs never looked so good...
posted by shoepal (8 comments total)

What do you mean by the latter part of your post? Just asking. No hostility. Wondered, though, since the article mentions no study of suburbs. This is an "urbanized area v. small town" study. Suburbs are parts of urbanized or metropolitan areas, and are not considered "small towns," or at least would not be in any reasonably decent social science research.
posted by raysmj at 10:32 AM on July 15, 2001

Ah, the perils of leaving your computer logged in to mefi. My girlfriend posted that link "because she wanted me to see it" which I suppose speaks volumes of our communication issues.

Anyhow, what I believe she meant was that growing up in the Suburbs might not be as pyschologically damaging as growing up in the city. I assume it's more a reference to the suburban malaise many of us suffer from as a result of growing up in that environment.
posted by shoepal at 11:01 AM on July 15, 2001

Of course, she's an idiot for thinking some study about city life in the Netherlands is applicable to suburban life in the U.S. I've heard some people comment how the prevelance of suburbs in the U.S. may be related to the number of serial killers and school shootings, since you never hear about mass school shootings in urban schools.
posted by swipe66 at 11:13 AM on July 15, 2001

lllThe article helpful and should point out too that there are no drug problems in the suburbs, no drinking problems for kids, no adultery, no shooting and stabbings in school systems. And best of all: no boredom! Poor saps in cities, all they have are museums, hospitals, parks, zoos, huge assortment of restaurants, ball parks for major league teams of all types. And the clubs. Never never forget the clubs! I met three of my ex-wives that way.
posted by Postroad at 11:14 AM on July 15, 2001

Of course, she's an idiot...

That's pretty much out of line...
posted by jpoulos at 1:11 PM on July 15, 2001

yep.
posted by rebeccablood at 1:12 PM on July 15, 2001

I have noticed that there is an approximately 80:1 relationship between the number of times people brag about living close to museums and the number of times they actually go. Interesting.
posted by Hildago at 1:46 PM on July 15, 2001

In the large metropolitan area in which I live, half the good ethnic restaurants are in the 'burbs - usually in old franchise restaurants that went out of business in a first ring suburb. If I want good Indian, I have to leave the city.

But I pass TWO museums on the way out!
posted by lileks at 5:24 PM on July 15, 2001