A study published in the journal of Environmental Science and Technology shows that living in or near a green space improves mental health.
The study was conducted over five years on a thousand families who had either moved to greener areas or away from – showing a significant increase in the mental health of those in the greener areas and a significant drop for those that moved to the cities.
According to the World Health Organisation, depression is cited to be a leading cause of disability worldwide. The research undertaken is also vital for policy-makers when deciding how to invest their scarce public resources and whether it is worth the financial maintenance in the long run.
“We’ve shown that individuals who move to greener areas have significant and long-lasting improvements in mental health. These findings are important for urban planners thinking about introducing new green spaces to our towns and cities, suggesting they could provide long-term and sustained benefits for local communities,” says lead researcher, Dr Ian Alcock.
Data likely to affect mental health over time, such as education, employment, income and personality was removed by the authors, ensuring that the data captured was solely about green spaces. The findings suggest that an increase of gardens and parks in the cities would have a substantial effect on public health.
The results that have emerged on green spaces could become a vital resource for improving well-being and health.
It was noted that a person’s mental health even started improving before reaching their destination and that even a photo of a greener space can have a tremendous effect on a person’s mental well-being.
Many expected that people would eventually get used to the environment and their levels of well-being would soon fade. The result suggests that there was a definite long-term improvement and no signs of regression.
For those living in urbanization, the incentive is to create far more green spaces in their areas, ensuring the well-being of their families, community, and themselves.
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