This study investigated the complex relationship between urban land use and depressive symptoms in young adults using data from the FinnTwin12 cohort. Two clusters were identified representing city center and suburban environments. Linear elastic net regression and XGBoost models revealed heterogeneous relationships, with agricultural residential land use (100m buffer) being positively associated with depressive symptoms in the suburban cluster, but no significant associations found in the city center cluster. The findings highlight the need for considering population heterogeneity and non-linearity in future research on urban land use and mental health.

Zhiyang Wang, Alyce M. Whipp, Marja Heinonen-Guzejev, Maria Foraster, Jordi Júlvez, Jaakko Kaprio