title: Unpacking 'the City': An experience-based approach to the role of urban living in psychosis.
abstract: Primarily on the basis of epidemiological studies, recent research in psychiatry has established a robust link between urban living and psychosis. This paper argues first, that an experienced-based approach, moving beyond epidemiology, is needed in order to enable more fine-grained understandings of the city/psychosis nexus. The second part of the paper presents preliminary fieldwork results based on video-elicitation sessions with first-episode patients with psychotic disorders. These results lead to the generation of a series of hypotheses for further research on the role of density, sensory overload and social interaction as factors in the onset of non-affective psychoses. The conclusion discusses the insights gained from viewing the city as an experiential milieu rather than as a set of substances. We argue that such insights enable, on the one hand, observation of the role of specific places and situations - and thus to unpack 'the city'; and, on the other, to envisage the urban milieu as a nexus of possible sites of recovery.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, University of Neuchâtel, Espace Louis-Agassiz, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Electronic address: ola.soderstrom@unine.ch.
authors.forename: Ola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.affiliation: Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis Program(TIPP), Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Clinique de Cery, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Lilith
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abrahamyan Empson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geography, University of Neuchâtel, Espace Louis-Agassiz, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Zoé
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Codeluppi
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrist, Avenue de la Gare 16, 1800 Vevey, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dag
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Söderström
authors.affiliation: Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis Program(TIPP), Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Clinique de Cery, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philipp S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Treatment and Early Intervention in Psychosis Program(TIPP), Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Clinique de Cery, 1008 Prilly, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Conus
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012934:Social Isolation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D013557:Switzerland; D014505:Urban Population; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Cities; Geography; Psychiatry; Psychosis; Video