Over 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas. While city life offers many attractions, it also presents significant mental health challenges.

URBAN MENTAL HEALTH

Centre for Urban Mental Health

Claudi Bockting, alongside Prof. Dr. Reinout Wiers and Associate Prof. Dr. Harm Krugers, is a director of the Centre for Urban Mental Health. This research group focuses on creating interventions to address mental health issues in cities, by taking into account the complex systems that contribute to common mental health conditions.

  • Huth, K., Wal, J. van der, Zavlis, O., Luigjes, J., Lakerveld, J., Galenkamp, H., Lok, A., Stronks, K., Bockting, C. L., Marsman, M., Goudriaan, A., & Holst, R. van. (2025). Individual and neighborhood determinants of depressive symptoms in ethnic minorities in the urban HELIUS sample: A multi-level network perspective. Social Science & Medicine, 381, 118195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118195

    van der Spek, N., Junus, A., van Ballengooijen, W., Wiers, R., & Bockting, C. L. (2025). Mental health symptom profiles and temporal trends in Dutch young people’s social and emotional wellbeing and suicidality, 2017–2023. Journal of Affective Disorders, 390, 119844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.119844

    Wiers, R. W., El Marroun, H., Bockting, C. L., & Krugers, H. (2025). Debate: Urban versus rural environments – which is better for mental health? The one good thing about a small town. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 30(2), 189-191. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12771

    van der Wal, J. M., Huth, K. B. S., Lok, A., Bockting, C. L., Stronks, K., & Nicolaou, M. (2024). Exploring the mechanisms underlying increased risk of depressive disorder in ethnic minority populations in Europe: A causal loop diagram. Social Science & Medicine, 351, 116977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116977

    Franzoi, D., Bockting, C. L., Bennett, K. F., Odom, A., Lucassen, P. J., Pathania, A., Lee, A., Brouwer, M. E., van de Schoot, R., Wiers, R. W., & Breedvelt, J. J. F. (2023). Which individual, social, and urban factors in early childhood predict psychopathology in later childhood, adolescence and young adulthood? A systematic review. SSM - Population Health, 25, 101575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101575

    Willemen, F. E. M., Heuschen, C. B. B. C. M., Zantvoord, J. B., Galenkamp, H., de Wit, M. A. S. Zwinderman, A. H., Denys, D. A. J. P., Bockting, C. L., Stronks, L., & Lok, A. (2023). Perceived ethnic discrimination, suicidal ideation and mastery in a multi-ethnic cohort: the HELIUS study. BJPsych Open, 9(1), e21. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.640

    Breedvelt, J. J., Tiemeier, H., Sharples, E., Galea, S., Niedzwiedz, C., Elliott, I., & Bockting, C. L. (2022). The effects of neighbourhood social cohesion on preventing depression and anxiety among adolescents and young adults: Rapid review. BJPsych open, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2022.57

    van der Wal, J. M., van Borkulo, C. D., Deserno, M. K., Breedvelt, J. J. F., Lees, M., Lokman, J. C., Borsboom, D., Denys, D., van Holst, R. J., Smidt, M. P., Stronks, K., Lucassen, P. J., van Weert, J. C. M., Sloot, P. M. A., Bockting, C. L., & Wiers, R. W. (2021). Advancing urban mental health research: from complexity science to actionable targets for intervention. Lancet Psychiatry, 8(11), 991–1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(21)00047-x