Urban environment and the psyche of citizens – mutual reflection Authors Muhammad Abdallah Al-Hmoud Frederick University Anna Merry Frederick University Diab Ghazi Naouri Petra University Amin Ababneh National Centre of Mental Health Downloads PDF DOI: https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/84.2556 Keywords: urbanization, psychology, traditional Arab culture, westernization, urban environment Abstract Global urbanization is forcing large numbers of people to move from traditional ways of life to life in a modern city. Powerful information flows and urban dynamics contribute to the development of mental disorders. The structure of the traditional Arab city prevented the growth of mental overload. As a result, the stigmatisation of mental disorders – treating them as a curse or a contagious disease – has taken root in traditional Arab culture. The westernisation of modern Arab cities has been accompanied by the dual effects of simultaneously increasing mental overload and eroding its stigmatisation. How to Cite Al-Hmoud, M. A., Merry , A., Ghazi Naouri, D., & Ababneh, A. (2025). Urban environment and the psyche of citizens – mutual reflection. Project Baikal, 22(84), 106–110. https://doi.org/10.51461/issn.2309-3072/84.2556 More Citation Formats ACM ACS APA ABNT Chicago Harvard IEEE MLA Turabian Vancouver Download Citation Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS) BibTeX Published 2025-07-18 Issue No. 84 (2025): flows Section refereed articles License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. References AlSherbiny, Lotfy A.M. (2012). Psychiatry in Arab Culture: Review and Professional observations. Arabpsynet E. Journal, 35-34, 77-84. Kasmi, A. (2019) The plan as a colonization project: the medina of Tlemcen under French rule, 1842–1920. Planning Perspectives, 34(1), 25-42. Merhej, R. (2019). Stigma on mental illness in the Arab world: beyond the socio-cultural barriers. International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, 12(4), 285-298. Ochnik, D., Buława, B., Nagel, P. et al. (2024).Urbanization, loneliness and mental health model – A cross-sectional network analysis with a representative sample. Sci Rep., 14, 24974. Okasha, A., Karam, E., & Okasha, T. (2012). Mental health services in the Arab world. World psychiatry, 11(1), 52-54. Okkels, N., Kristiansen, B. Ch., & Munk-Jørgensen, P. (Eds.). (2017). Mental Health and Illness in the City. Singapore: Springer Singapore. Rose, N., & Fitzgerald, D. (2022). The Urban Brain: Mental Health in the Vital City. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Sineva, I. M, Khafizova, A. A., & Permyakov, I. A. (2021). Environmental determinants of urban mental health: A literature review. Public Health and Life Environment, 29(11), 67-75. Trivedi, J. K., Sareen, H., & Dhyani, M. (2008). Rapid urbanization – Its impact on mental health: A South Asian perspective. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(3), 161-165. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. (2019). World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision (ST/ESA/SER.A/420). New York: United Nations. Ventriglio, A., Torales, J., Castaldelli-Maia, J. M., De Berardis, D., & Bhugra, D. (2021). Urbanization and emerging mental health issues. CNS Spectr, 26(1), 43-50.