Podcast: Local green spaces and mental health
Dear CHAIN member,
We would like to draw your attention to the following NIHR alert. Please pass on as appropriate. Thank you.
NIHR
Local green spaces are linked with better mental health
Podcast: Local green spaces and mental health
In this podcast, Helen Saul, Editor in Chief of NIHR Evidence, and study author Sarah Rodgers, Professor of Health Informatics, University of Liverpool, discuss the impact of local green spaces on people's mental health.
Researchers analysed data on more than 2 million people in Wales over 10 years to explore the impact of green spaces on mental health. They linked information about people’s mental health with information about the greenness of their home’s immediate surroundings and how close they lived to green or blue spaces (such as parks, lakes, and beaches). They found that people had a lower risk of anxiety and depression if:
· their home’s immediate surroundings (within 200-300 metres) were greener
· they could access green and blue spaces nearby.
The researchers say that local authorities could improve the mental health of their community by increasing the greenery in their towns and cities and improving access to green and blue spaces.
Read more at: https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/local-green-spaces-are-linked-with-better-mental-health/?source=chainmail
Regards,
Irina Johnston
CHAIN Administrative Assistant