URBAN LOW-COST HOUSING EFFECT MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

As the number of people moving to urban areas increases by the year, it also increases the prevalence of mental health problems worldwide. Low-income groups in urban areas have had to choose to live in low-cost housing due to the higher cost of living. This study aims to understand the effect of living in low-cost housing. The objectives are to study and analyse mental health conditions for the low-income group living in low-cost housing in an urban area. This study was conducted at the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The questionnaire used is an adaptation of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the sample selection used homogenous sampling. The site selection is based on the housing scheme's characteristics: location, density, property age, and surrounding land use. The data collected were analysed using correlation analysis to determine the relationship between urban low-cost housing living and mental health. The results have shown that 57.8 per cent of the respondents have depression, 65.7 per cent have anxiety, and 55.9 per cent have stress with various severity. The findings show that low-cost housing associated with poorer mental health is caused by several factors.