Study ties green spaces to health, well-being

A new research conducted by the British researchers unveils the long-lasting positive effect of green landscape on health, well-being and feelings of social safety.

The team made efforts to explore the relationship between the amount and type of green space in people’s living environment and their health, well-being, and feelings of safety.

They also tried to investigate the mechanisms behind this relationship through environmental psychology research and descriptive epidemiological study, according to the study report appeared in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

Researchers found moving to a green space had a sustained positive effect, unlike pay rises or promotions, which only provided a short-term boost.

People living in greener urban areas were displaying fewer signs of depression or anxiety, the study researchers claimed.

While the happiness of promotion at work, pay rises and even marriage does not last in long-term, the study reveals that living in greener urban areas has a lasting positive effect.

“We found that within a group of lottery winners who had won more than £500,000 that the positive effect was definitely there but after six months to a year, they were back to the baseline,” said co-author Mathew White, from the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, UK.

The team analyzed a massive representative sample of the UK population (about 40,000 households a year) since 1991.

The participants were asked a load of questions such as income and marital status called ‘the General Health Questionnaire’ to find out the reasons.

“There is evidence that people within an area with green spaces are less stressed and when you are less stressed you make more sensible decisions and you communicate better,” Dr White explained.