1 Mental Life and the Metropolis in Suburban America: The Psychological Correlates of Metropolitan Place Characteristics

Many critics argue that America’s suburbs foster depression and mental distress, but researchers have not sufficiently tested whether the characteristics that actually distinguish metropolitan places (both cities and suburbs) correspond to any differences in psychological well being. Looking beyond inaccurate city-suburb dichotomies, this paper examines the relationship between six characteristics of metropolitan places (population size, density, racial composition, affluence, age, and land-use) and a variety of indicators of mental health including depression, life satisfaction, and self-efficacy and esteem. Findings from multi-level data constructed from the Americans ’ Changing Lives Survey and the Census indicate that two characteristics of metropolitan places relate to psychological health: population density and affluence. Residents of denser places are more likely to report depressed mood and dissatisfaction with their neighborhoods; those in more affluent places are more likely to be depressed, less satisfied with life, feel lower levels of self-efficacy and esteem. In conclusion, I suggest that the social isolation that accompanies the economic segregation of many suburban communities is an important source of suburban psychological malaise.