Living in the City, You Can End Up With the City Living in You

Urban Struggles and Mental Health in Accra, Ghana

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2263315
AutoresJosiane Carine Tantchou (0000-0002-5997-0154, Unité Mixte de Recherche PRODIG 8586, Institute of African Studies Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut de recherche pour le développement, University of Ghana Accra Ghana)
Año2025
Volumen37
Número1
Fecha de publicación2025-04-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCity & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0893-0465 • E-ISSN: 1548-744X
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ciso.70002
OpenAlexW4408835401
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas1
Referencias citadas30

This paper examines the intersection of city life and mental health in Accra, Ghana. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews and focus group discussions, it explores how urban precarity, infrastructural violence, and uncertainty in a rapidly shifting world contribute to mental distress. The findings highlight that urban precarity, passive infrastructural violence, and individual identity-encompassing personality, available opportunities, navigation of these opportunities based on qualifications and support, and perceptions by others-are central to processes leading to mental unease or breakdown. By emphasizing local perspectives, this paper underscores the importance of understanding the unique links between urban living and mental health in African cities. It advocates for a multidisciplinary approach that bridges global frameworks with the sociopolitical and infrastructural realities of urban Africa, offering fresh insights into the mental health challenges faced by those living on the margins of what Peter Sloterdijk has called the Palais de cristal

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