New Study Reveals Green Spaces Reduce Depression and Anxiety

October 19, 2009 in Green Living

According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, which is an international journal that encompasses all aspects of epidemiology and public health, people that live close to green spaces have lower rates of depression, anxiety and poor physical health than those who don’t live near green spaces.

According to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, which is an international journal that encompasses all aspects of epidemiology and public health, people that live close to green spaces have lower rates of depression, anxiety and poor physical health than those who don’t live near green spaces.

The green open spaces were calculated using a range of half a mile to two miles of a person’s zip code. These people were registered with 195 family doctors in 95 practices across the Netherlands.

Although the study is based on the health of people registered with doctors in the Netherlands, it is still a significant find for the overall mental well-being of people.

The annual rate of disease clusters for the following diseases were much lower for people living near a green space:

• cardiovascular disease
• musculoskeletal disorders
• mental ill health
• respiratory disease
• neurological disease
• digestive disease
• other miscellaneous complaints

The study also shows that there was an increase in mental ill health for children living in low income facilities, as well as for adults aged 45-65.

Overall, the study proves that living near green space is a healthy and natural way to improve any person’s mental and physical health, so if you’re interested in raising a green family, try to choose an area where there are plenty of open green spaces.

Source: PsychCentral