Daina Kosīte has completed training in psychology and currently is a PhD candidate at the Department of Public Health at Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam. Her interdisciplinary PhD project aims to investigate the impact of urban policies on mental health and health equity. She is particularly interested in studying how urban environments can be changed to address the social determinants of mental health and improve residents’ wellbeing.

Project description:

Mental health problems are growing worldwide, and this increase is coinciding with a rapid rise of urbanisation. Therefore, it is important to understand how residing in a city impacts mental health and explore ways how mental health problems could be prevented in the urban environment. Many studies show that systemic issues such as neighbourhood deprivation, within-city inequality, and unaffordable housing, affect mental health. In this research project, we will investigate how local authorities in various European cities are tackling the social determinants of mental health. We will analyse urban policy documents with the aim to identify policy instruments and interventions that have the potential to address the systemic issues leading to mental health problems.