Mood disorders are highly prevalent and represent a leading cause of global disability. Urbanization holds great public health implications spanning various environmental, lifestyle behavioural, economic and social domains. Underlying risk factors for mood disorders are heterogeneous but the psychiatric literature has extended beyond individual-level risk, to account for population-level environment and social-related precursors to mental ill health. This review summarizes recent studies published since 2017 examining the impact of urbanization and associated environmental, social and lifestyle risks for mood disorders, specifically depression.