14 DAY TRIAL // According to the results of a new scientific study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, access to parks and other green spaces could play a very important role in boosting and maintaining mental health for people living in towns, cities and metropolises around the world.
The research followed a total of 1,000 test subjects over a period of five years, and determined that public health can be significantly and constantly improved if authorities develop green spaces where people can unwind or spend quality time during the weekends.
The study also revealed that people's mental health tends to improve if they move to a greener neighborhood, where vegetation abounds. These positive effects continued even years after those individuals had moved into their new homes, EurekAlert reports.
Data used in this study were collected from the British Household Panel Survey, which was applied to test participants across Great Britain. The work was led by investigators with the Exeter Medical School at the University of Exeter.
The population sample used in this research was split into two groups. Members of the former had moved to greener areas during or before the study, while people in the second group had moved to less green urban areas during the same interval.
“We've shown that individuals who move to greener areas have significant and long-lasting improvements in mental health,” explains Dr. Ian Alcock, the lead researchers on the new study.
“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,” the expert goes on to say.
For people who moved to greener areas, researchers discovered a much lower incidence of mental health problems overall, as well as a decrease in pre-existing conditions. These positive effects lasted for up to 3 years after the people had moved into their new homes.
"We needed to answer important questions about how the effects of green space vary over time. Do people experience a novelty effect, enjoying the new green area after the move, but with the novelty then wearing off?” asks paper coauthor Dr. Mathew White, also from the University of Exeter.
“Or do they take time to realize the benefits of their new surroundings as they gradually get to know local parks? What we've found suggests that the mental health benefits of green space are not only immediate, but sustainable over long periods of time,” the researcher concludes.