Living Near Green Lowers Anxiety, Depression Rates, Study Finds

Living Near Green Lowers Anxiety, Depression Rates, Study Finds
By Kristen Hallam


Oct. 15 (Bloomberg) -- People living near gardens, parks and other green spaces have lower rates of anxiety, depression and poor physical health than those living in urban areas, Dutch researchers found.

The scientists reviewed the medical records of more than 345,000 people in the Netherlands and calculated the percentage of green space near the patients’ homes. For those with 10 percent of green space within a 1-kilometer radius of their homes, the prevalence of anxiety disorders was 26 out of 1,000 people, according to the study. In a residential area that was 90 percent green, the prevalence was 18 out of 1,000.

Better health may stem from access to fresher air and more opportunities to relax, socialize or exercise, though more research is needed to confirm those theories, said Jolanda Maas and colleagues at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. Expanding green spaces may help prevent chronic illnesses that cost billions of dollars to treat each year, they said.

“The role of green space in the living environment for health should not be underestimated,” they wrote in the study published in the British Medical Journal’s Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. “Most of the diseases which were found to be related to the percentage of green space in the living environment are highly prevalent in society and in many countries, they are the subject of large-scale prevention programs.”

The study also found fewer cases of depression, heart disease, back pain and asthma among those living near green spaces. The link between green space and health was strongest for children and people with low incomes, who are less mobile and spend more time closer to home, the study found.


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aaVDXmgskQmg

i live near a lake and even though i'm in the capital city of raleigh NC, feel as if i'm out in the country because there are so many trees. since i can't have the ocean here, i am thankful for the trees.

Maybe we should be helping them build parks and irrigation instead of sending in unmanned drones and fighting troops. Just sayin'.

are alien to our psyches.

I go nuts when I'm locked inside without a window for a day or less. Don't think I could do that long term.

surrounded by big old trees, across road from park, in historic section, hence neat old mansions (surviving by renting apartments.)

Our suburban neighborhood is across the street from a 500 acre state park. It always smells good around here.

The suburban neighborhood where I lived wasn't very, tho in fact there was decent placement of greens, and nice trees.

The park is great but getting there - you could get killed - so I think the latter diminishes the "good" of the former greatly.

I live in the desert with saguaro, organ pipe cacti, small acacia trees, no grass, but desert soil and gravel, teeming with life; rabbits, quail, hummingbirds, little lizards, coyotes, mockingbirds, gila woodpeckers, etc., etc. It's my church.

I only lasted a year there.