City Syndromes: Can Certain Cities Trigger Mental Health Conditions?

City Syndromes
Spread the love

  • “City syndromes” involve psychological conditions induced by certain urban settings.
  • Paris syndrome and Stockholm syndrome are popular examples.

What Is City Syndrome?

Sometimes, certain forms of urbanity impose delusions, hallucinations, and other symptoms of psychosis among its residents and visitors. Experts dub these short-lived ‘mental states’ as “city syndromes”.

While cities, in general, have been associated with a wide bevy of mental health conditions (such as anxiety, psychotic, mood, or addictive disorders), city syndromes do not qualify for chronic psychological disorders that require a diagnosis. Instead, these are unusual psychosomatic ‘syndromes’ triggered by factors like:

  • Frequent traveling
  • Cultural shock
  • Jet-lag
  • Difficulty adjusting to a new environment (like a new city)

The most famous types of city syndromes have been categorized according to the events that occurred within the cities and their exerted influence on perceptions of urban spaces and cultures. These events include:

  • Hostage-related events
  • Tourist city syndromes
  • Miscellaneous city syndromes

Examples Of Famous City Syndromes

The most famous of hostage city syndromes is “Stockholm syndrome”. It derived its name from a 1973 bank robbery in the Swedish capital that saw bank robbers take four bank employees hostage, for six days.

After the negotiated surrender of the robbers, the hostages refused to file charges against their captors and even raised money for their defense.

In psychology, this syndrome became synonymous with situations in which hostages develop a strong emotional connection with their captors during captivity. Composed along similar lines are the “Lima syndrome” and the “London syndrome”.

The foremost type of tourist city syndromes includes the “Paris syndrome” among Japanese tourists visiting the French capital. It arises from the jarring confrontation of an ‘ideal’ Paris with the abrasive nature of the city’s inhabitants.

Similarly, a majority of Christian and Jew pilgrims visiting the holy city of Jerusalem end up experiencing the “Jerusalem syndrome”. Sufferers have often been seen sermonizing, shouting on the street, and passionately reading passages from the New or Old Testaments.

Similarly, in “India syndrome”, western travelers to the subcontinent experience a form of psychosis. They abandon their belongings and obsessively wander around the country though disoriented or confused. Experts attribute the condition to a delusional sense of cultural exoticism or the tenacious quest for spiritual enlightenment.

Aesthetics syndromes are also rife with instances of city syndromes. For instance, in 1817, during a visit to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, the French author Stendhal entered a fugue state while viewing the artwork.

Years later, in 1979, Italian psychiatrist Graziella Magherini coined the term “Stendhal syndrome” to categorize a common syndrome that tourists experience while touring Florence. In sharp contrast, stands the “Venice syndrome”. It stands for the behavior of people traveling to Venice with the express intention of committing suicide in the city’s vast canal system!

Amongst the miscellaneous city syndromes, the most famous is the “Amsterdam syndrome”. Sufferers traveling through the Dutch capital briefly develop tendencies to share unconsented nude or intimate pictures of themselves with/without their spouses.

Similarly, the “Brooklyn syndrome” stands for the inhabitants’ aggressive attitudes towards visitors. Given the city’s amusing tryst with American serial killers in the 1970s, sometimes, the syndrome is used to denote psychopathological traits of the city’s citizens.

Addressing City Syndromes

City syndromes are rare psychiatric conditions that occur in bouts and can last for a lifetime. During the episodes, the sufferer may feel disabled from carrying out even the simplest of tasks. In such circumstances, his/her traveling experience and goals may also be hampered.

However, the symptoms of city syndromes can be easily managed through therapy, medications, and relaxation techniques.

Know More About –

  1. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  2. Mood Disorders
  3. Psychotic Depression
  1. 8 Brilliant Fiction Books About Mental Illness
  2. Single Parent Syndrome: How To Cope With The Challenges Of Going Solo
  3. How To Support Someone Who Is Struggling With Their Mental Health: 4 Tips

Spread the love
  • Talking To A Friend Reduces Stress Levels: Study Finds

    Talking To A Friend Reduces Stress Levels: Study Finds

    A team of researchers revealed that talking to a friend…

  • How Sam Smith’s New Song Exposed The Rampant Fatphobia In The LGBTQIA+ Community

    How Sam Smith’s New Song Exposed The Rampant Fatphobia In The LGBTQIA+ Community

    Research delves into the negative mental health impact of fatphobia…

  • Why Do We Prefer The Naturally Talented Over Hard Workers?

    Why Do We Prefer The Naturally Talented Over Hard Workers?

    Research provides insights into naturalness bias.

  • Did You Know Age And Sex Influence Our Body Clocks? Study Finds

    Did You Know Age And Sex Influence Our Body Clocks? Study Finds

    Research explores how our bodyclock sexually varies and changes with…

  • Extreme Earners Are Not Necessarily Extremely Smart: Study Finds

    Extreme Earners Are Not Necessarily Extremely Smart: Study Finds

    Research explores if cognitive abilities influence income groups.

  • The Media Portrayal Of Mental Health: Boon Or Bane?

    The Media Portrayal Of Mental Health: Boon Or Bane?

    Research provides insights into the incorrect media portrayals of mental…

  • Passive Online Teaching Imposes Limitations On Learning: Study Finds

    Passive Online Teaching Imposes Limitations On Learning: Study Finds

    Research delved into the disadvantages of passive online teaching.

  • Ghosting And Closure: How Big Of An Emotional Toll Can Ghosting Have?

    Ghosting And Closure: How Big Of An Emotional Toll Can Ghosting Have?

    Research explores the emotional impact of ghosting.

  • Brain Activity Creates Differences In Male And Female Handwriting: Research Finds

    Brain Activity Creates Differences In Male And Female Handwriting: Research Finds

    Studies chronicle the differences between male and female handwriting.

  • Nature And Mental Health: Did You Know Sunrise And Sunset Improves Mental Well-Being?

    Nature And Mental Health: Did You Know Sunrise And Sunset Improves Mental Well-Being?

    Research delves into the link between nature and mental health.

  • Social Support Reduces Genetic Depression Risk: Study Finds

    Social Support Reduces Genetic Depression Risk: Study Finds

    Research delves into the benefits of social support in reducing…

  • Gratitude And Mental Health: How Cultivating Thankfulness Can Boost Your Mental Health?

    Gratitude And Mental Health: How Cultivating Thankfulness Can Boost Your Mental Health?

    Research explores the mental health benefits of gratitude.

  • People Who Are In A Bad Mood Spot Fake Facts Better: Study Claims

    People Who Are In A Bad Mood Spot Fake Facts Better: Study Claims

    Research delves into the link between bad moods and better…

  • Negative Marital Communications Can Cause Poor Health In Couples: Study

    Negative Marital Communications Can Cause Poor Health In Couples: Study

    Research delves into the link between negative marital communications and…

  • Forest Therapy: Can A Good Walk In The Woods Clear Your Head?

    Forest Therapy: Can A Good Walk In The Woods Clear Your Head?

    Research delves into the benefits of forest therapy.

  • Loneliness Linked To Unhealthful Diets In College Students: Research Finds

    Loneliness Linked To Unhealthful Diets In College Students: Research Finds

    Research delves into the link between loneliness, unhealthful diets, and…

  • Antidepressants Cause Emotional Blunting: Study Finds

    Antidepressants Cause Emotional Blunting: Study Finds

    Research delves into the negative effects of antidepressants.

  • Outdoor Play Reduces The Negative Effects Of Screen Time On Children: Study Finds

    Outdoor Play Reduces The Negative Effects Of Screen Time On Children: Study Finds

    Research delves into the negative effects of screen time on…

  • Why Do Some People Have Negative Attitudes Towards Science? Research Finds

    Why Do Some People Have Negative Attitudes Towards Science? Research Finds

    Research explores what drives people’s negativity towards science.

  • Can Feeling Poorer Than Your Friends Impact Your Mental Health?

    Can Feeling Poorer Than Your Friends Impact Your Mental Health?

    Research explores how a sense of socio-economic inequality harms friendships…

  • A Novel Test To Detect Alzheimer’s Disease 3.5 Years Before Clinical Diagnosis

    A Novel Test To Detect Alzheimer’s Disease 3.5 Years Before Clinical Diagnosis

    Research provides insights into a new test formulated to detect…

  • Adult Children 4 Times More Likely To Undergo Family Estrangement: Study

    Adult Children 4 Times More Likely To Undergo Family Estrangement: Study

    Research provides insights into intergenerational relationships.

  • Study Reveals Why Musicians Are More Desirable Dates

    Study Reveals Why Musicians Are More Desirable Dates

    Research explored why musicians are more desirable dates to both…

  • The Dark Side of Consumerism: How Valentine’s Day Can Affect Mental Health?

    The Dark Side of Consumerism: How Valentine’s Day Can Affect Mental Health?

    Experts opine on the link between the commercialization of Valentine’s…

  • Parental Income Influences The Sexual Behavior Of Children: Study Finds

    Parental Income Influences The Sexual Behavior Of Children: Study Finds

    Research explores the long-term impact of parental income on children’s…

  • Did You Know Psychological Flexibility Makes You Less Materialistic?

    Did You Know Psychological Flexibility Makes You Less Materialistic?

    Research delves into the link between psychological flexibility and attachment…

  • Physical Attractiveness Brings Meaning To Our Lives: Study

    Physical Attractiveness Brings Meaning To Our Lives: Study

    Research explored how self-perceptions of physical attractiveness influence “meaningful” lives.