Save Our
Sydney Suburbs (NSW) Inc.
News
Release February 2006
Ryde Rally
Hi SOS Members
Popular wisdom is confirmed by Professor Cumming’s finding that high density living is not good for people’s sense of wellbeing ("Welcome to the seat of suburban angst", February 13). In decades past high-rise developments were also called suicide towers. The State Government Architect quotes a massive overseas study that shows why. The researchers found that denser areas have much higher rates of psychosis and depression. High density is bad for mental health. In spite of mental health disorders being a huge problem in our society the Government relentlessly continues to force high density onto unwilling communities.
Note for Editor:
The study mentioned is
discussed in Healthy Environments, 11 essays
published by the NSW Government Architect in 2004, edited by Chris Johnson. The
reference to the actual study is Sundquist K, Frank G & Sundquist
J, Urbanisation and incidence of psychosis and depression, British
Journal of Psychiatry, 184, 287-288, 2004. The
researchers studying 4.4 million Swedes found that the rates for psychosis
were 70% greater for the denser areas and there was a 16% greater risk of
developing depression.
Tony Recsei
President, Save Our Suburbs