Amidst the dazzling skyscrapers and bustling streets, a quieter battle rages — the toll of city living on women’s minds. Anxiety, depression, and even schizophrenia find fertile ground in urban landscapes. We would like to share with you the five urban development impacts on women’s social well-being and mental health.
1. Housing Condition
High population density and rapid development have bound modern women to various commitments and responsibilities. Many tasks have become essential for improvement, and the high cost of living has become commonplace for urban residents. However, contemporary women trying to adapt to these rapid and advancing changes often face stress and anxiety, which can lead to depression and frequent self-isolation.
This phenomenon is common today, with cases such as not speaking to neighbors or not knowing them being typical in cities. This can be linked to overcrowded housing situations where residents are sometimes too busy to meet their commitments.
Women in Malaysia realize that rapid urbanization is a significant obstacle in finding affordable and safe housing, especially in a time when crime frequently dominates the headlines.
2. Healthcare Access
Access to healthcare is crucial in ensuring well-being and equality in society. This access emphasizes several aspects: the availability of healthcare, affordability, and gender-sensitive healthcare. The effects of urbanization from rural areas can result in linguistic barriers, posing challenges in communication. Another instance, particularly for women, is the increased cost of living in urban settings, rendering healthcare services financially out of reach for many, particularly those in low-income brackets.
The shift from rural to urban life can also disrupt their work schedules, as women in urban settings often face demanding jobs with extended hours, leaving them with little time to access healthcare services. Moreover, maternal and reproductive health services may be inadequate or inaccessible. While this happens, the women find it to be more stressful and depressing towards gaining access to the adequate healthcare facility. Consequently, this can attribute anxiety, hormonal imbalance, mood swings and many other mental health problems.
3. Employment Stress
High pressure in urban jobs, especially in major cities like Kuala Lumpur or Penang, is prevalent due to fierce competition for good jobs. This is a major contributor to work-related stress as individuals strive to achieve the highest quality of work. Long working hours also cause stress when individuals are forced to work for extended periods and cannot spend time with family or friends. For instance, IT or system workers who have to work on weekends or late nights to solve technical issues, or bank employees who often work overtime, especially when financial reports need to be prepared. Workplace discrimination, particularly gender discrimination, also occurs frequently. For example, according to the Gender Diversity on Boards (2021 Report) by the Malaysian Securities Commission, women made up 25.5% of board positions in the top 100 public listed companies in 2021. This indicates progress but also highlights a gap in gender representation in senior management roles.
Based on a Journal Article title Family-friendly work conditions and well-being among Malaysian women by Nadirah Mat Pozian, Yvette D Miller and Jenni Mays in Women’s Health 2024, the pressure from work is a major contributor to mental health challenges faced by women in Malaysia. The report emphasizes that the demanding work environment is a key factor driving the rise of conditions like depression and anxiety among female workers.Based on this report we can see, many working women, are having stress, anxiety, sleep disorder, fatigue and many other mental health problems due to workplace environment.
4. Social Connectivity
The development of high-rise residential buildings in urban areas can lead to physical proximity without meaningful social interaction. In large cities like Kuala Lumpur, for example, many condominiums boast modern facilities but lack communal spaces for residents to interact. Women living there may feel isolated and are prone to experiencing stress and depression. Income disparities also create significant distance and differences within communities, often fracturing existing social networks. When women are isolated from the social community, they will feel unwanted, loneliness want to isolated from the communities.
5. Safety
Urban development has propelled economic growth and modernization, yet the importance of safety considerations cannot be overstated. For instance, in large and modern cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s bustling capital teeming with activities, modern infrastructure, and perpetually busy streets, safety concerns persist. Particularly prevalent are issues like street harassment and petty crimes, common occurrences in present-day Malaysia.
Due to safety being a major concern, especially in the big city of Kuala Lumpur, women find it difficult to feel secure when walking alone, even during daylight. This makes women wonder: Is it safe to use public transportation? Is it safe to go anywhere alone? These worries and thoughts arise from news reports highlighting the safety issues for women in urban areas. It will lead to anxiety, stress and depression among women living in the urban area.
Living in the city offers many opportunities for a modern lifestyle and access to numerous amenities. However, it can become burdensome when this modern lifestyle is unattainable, leading to significant social gaps. This can result in stress, anxiety, depression, and increase loneliness.
In conclusion, ensuring good mental health is crucial for us all, as it impacts not only our sleep and hormonal balance but also various aspects of our daily lives, including work and relationships. Are you aware that stress can hasten the aging process, affect skin health, and internal well-being? At BNeu, we offer solutions to restore hormone balance, enhance sleep quality, alleviate stress, and promote peace of mind. Interested in learning more? Feel free to DM us for further information!
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