City living linked to psychotic episodes

LIVING in the city significantly increases the risk of psychotic experiences such as hearing voices and paranoia in young people, research has shown.

A study of 2,000 UK 18-year-olds found that those growing up in urban areas were 40% more likely to have had episodes of psychosis than their countryside counterparts.

Among teens living in the largest and most densely populated cities, more than a third (34%) reported psychotic symptoms between the age of 12 and 18. Participants were considered to have suffered from psychosis if they had reported at least one of 13 potential experiences, which included hearing voices, believing spies were watching them or their food was being poisoned.

Crime was a strong contributing factor, the study found. Among teenagers who had grown up in the most deprived neighbourhoods and been a victim of violent crime, 62% reported psychotic experiences. Adolescents are especially vulnerable to developing mental health problems it said.