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Imagine the bliss of country living, and how fresh air, chirping birds and flowering meadows would be an ideal break from the stress of city life.
Not so fast, say researchers: People who live in rural areas tend to be more depressed, anxious and neurotic than urban dwellers, according to a new study.
Olivia Atherton, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Houston, examined data from two large existing studies, Midlife in the United States and the Health and Retirement Study.
In her research, Atherton considered what experts call the “Big Five” personality traits — extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism — as well as other traits including psychological well-being and life satisfaction.
Americans who live in rural areas were found to have lower levels of openness (including curiosity and a creative imagination) and conscientiousness (such as responsible productivity).
And though city dwellers have a reputation for being neurotic, higher rates of neuroticism (including anxiety and depression) were seen among people living in rural areas.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality, acknowledged that people who are more open and conscientious might choose to relocate to cities to take advantage of the cultural amenities and job opportunities in urban areas.
Additionally, the authors noted that socioeconomic factors such as fewer high-quality public schools in rural areas could lead to increased unhappiness.
Atherton and her research team believe at least some of these findings may be the result of access to health care — or lack thereof. Since 2010, a surge of rural hospital closures has eliminated many health care providers formerly serving those areas.
And while mental health specialists are relatively easy to find in urban areas, nearly 85% of US rural counties have a shortage of such professionals, even though residents of rural areas want more access to their services.
“Given the far-reaching consequences of rural health disparities for individuals, families and communities, there is a pressing need to … improve the health of rural Americans,” said Atherton in a news release.
