Mexican cities have historically been synonymous with opportunity. They are the heart of innovation, entrepreneurship and social mobility. The dreams of millions of people who seek to progress, create and build a better future converge in its streets. However, today, those who live these cities, who walk them and imagine them, also share a less visible experience: the emotional wear that entails living and working in increasingly hostile urban environments for mental health.
While our cities grow in population and economic activity, so do stress, anxiety and chronic fatigue among its inhabitants. The accelerated life rhythm, the long transfers, the shortage of green spaces, the constant pressure to be reached and limited access to adequate housing have become part of the daily landscape. The worrying thing is that these factors not only affect individual well -being, but are generating considerable economic losses that compromise the country’s competitiveness.
Every day that a person tries to meet labor objectives while dealing with anxiety or depression represents a silent loss of productivity. This phenomenon, which for years was outside the radar of public policies, today emerges as one of the great challenges of urban economies of the 21st century.
Talking about mental health in cities is no longer a luxury, but an urgency. Addressing it from an urban perspective is not an isolated occurrence, but an intelligent strategy. The way in which our cities are designed, the quality of their services and access to decent conditions directly influence the emotional well -being of those who inhabit them. Building cities that take care of the mind becomes, thus, a long -range ethical and economic decision.
Mental health and productivity: an inescapable bond
In Mexico, it is estimated that about twenty percent of the working population suffers severe anxiety, while around fifteen percent live with some degree of depression. Three out of four people report fatigue related to work stress. These figures not only account for an emotional crisis, they also explain a growing loss of productivity that affects key sectors of the economy.
One of the most prominent institutional responses has been the implementation of the official Mexican Standard NOM-035, which forces companies to identify and prevent psychosocial risk factors. Organizations that have adopted this standard report notable improvements: increase in job satisfaction, decrease in personnel rotation and greater commitment of the team.
In addition, it has been documented that workers with depressive symptoms can lose on average twenty -five days of work per year, while those with severe anxiety lose approximately ten days. When these data are considered nationally, the economic impact becomes significant.
Globally, international organizations estimate that anxiety and depression cause the loss of more than twelve billion days of work per year, with a cost close to a billion dollars in productivity. In the case of Mexico, some studies suggest that losses due to presentism and absenteeism related to mental health could represent up to one point two percent of the gross domestic product.
However, it has also been shown that each weight invested in emotional well -being programs can generate between four and nine pesos of return in productivity. Actions such as offering psychological support, promoting more flexible work schedules or redesign more human work spaces have a direct effect on the performance and talent retention.
However, the solution cannot be limited to offices. Mental health is also forged in public space, in the quality of the air we breathe, in the possibility of walking through a park, in the safety of the neighborhood or in the time it takes to work. Urban policies, therefore, become fundamental allies of emotional well -being.
When the city also takes care of
Mexico City has begun to recognize this link between urban and well -being. Programs such as Sowing Parks have allowed to rehabilitate historically excluded areas of urban development, offering new green spaces in places where concrete and insecurity predominated. The Chapultepec Forest and the Cantera Park, for example, have become true emotional health shelters for millions of people. Regular contact with nature helps reduce anxiety and improves the perception of well -being.
Another significant measure is Cablebús, a public transport system that connects peripheral areas with the rest of the city, reducing the transfer time considerably. Reaching work in less than half of the time, in decent and safe conditions, contributes not only to work performance, but also to a better quality of life.
These types of investments reflect an urban approach that goes beyond functionality. They are policies that understand the city as an integral ecosystem, where the environment directly affects the health of those who inhabit it. A city that takes care of its people is also a city that strengthens its economy by attracting talent and stimulating innovation.
In the south of the country, Mérida has consolidated an urban model focused on well -being. For more than a decade, it has maintained the lowest crime levels in the country, promoting security as the basis of a prosperous community. Its clean streets, its well maintained public spaces and a harmonious social coexistence have positioned it as one of the most attractive cities to live, work and invest.
This model has allowed Mérida not only to be perceived as a safe city, but also as a city with high levels of social cohesion and quality of life. As a result, it has managed to attract young population, private capital and new economic development projects.
The new paradigm: well -being as an economic engine
The examples of Mexico City and Mérida demonstrate that emotional well -being is no longer a peripheral issue in urban planning. Cities that aspire to be competitive should be thought of as collective mental health platforms, where public policy decisions reflect a commitment to the quality of life.
Anxiety is not fought solely with medications. It is also prevented by accessible green spaces, efficient transport, decent housing and safe environments. Urban design, when oriented to the well -being of people, becomes an emotional resilience infrastructure.
Mexico needs to move towards cities that not only grow in size, but also mature in humanity. Cities that recognize that caring for the minds of its inhabitants is as important as generating jobs or attracting investment. The future of our economy also depends on the mental health of those who promote it.
Transforming our cities into welfare allies is not only desirable, it is necessary. Because a healthily healthy worker will be more creative, more efficient and more committed. And that worker flourishes when the city, more than a stress scenario, becomes a space of possibility and shared dignity.
About the author:
*Luis Antonio Ramírez García is a specialist in public policy from the University of Georgetown
The opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily represent any organization.
The opinions expressed are only the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and the editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
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