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Abstract

Humans are surrounded by the outer environments and keep interacting with them. Humans face the challenge of the external world throughout their life course, adapt to the change, and strive to thrive. However, some environmental aspects deteriorate human health and leave sequelae throughout human life.
This thesis uses a theoretical framework, Neighbourhood Mental Health Map, to describe the human-neighbourhood relationship in an ecological way. In line with this framework, the present thesis presents three empirical studies disentangling the complex interactions between human mental health and the physical and social environment in modern urban neighbourhoods. The first two studies were dedicated to the relationship between physical environments and mental health problems, and the third study focused on the social environment and development of adolescent mental health.
In more detail, the first study aimed to identify the syndemic structure of mental problems in the context of urban neighbourhood environments characterized by high nighttime light exposure. The second study sought to identify the physical signatures (i.e., specific geographic patterns) of different mental health problems (e.g., depression, overdrinking). The third study tried to identify the roles of social mechanisms (e.g., social cohesion, informal social control and deviant peer affiliation) and conduct disorder development at varying levels of deprivation.