Green Spaces and Mental Health: How spending time in nature improves our mental health
I live in London, one of the largest and most vibrant cities in the world. For me, the lure of London lies in its unique combination of vast opportunities, rich diversity, and the potential to thrive here. Despite how great this city is, there are times when it’s inherent pressures overwhelm me so much that I need to get away from its 9 million inhabitants. When I experience this, I swap my urban landscape for a leafier one. Spending time in nature revives me and makes me feel good, and calm, and happy in a way that no city ever has.
Anecdotally, I think many people would also agree that spending time in the natural world makes them feel better. The psychologist in me has been contemplating if spending time in nature has the proven capacity to reduce distress and improve our mental health? It seems that I am not alone.
Scandinavia clearly understands the important relationship between nature and wellbeing, so much so that it forms a fundamental part of its culture. I recently became aware of ‘Friluftsliv, a Nordic philosophy of outdoor living. The word describes a lifestyle in Norway and Sweden, which views being in harmony with nature as a highly valuable part of everyday life. Friluftsliv comes from the self-image of Scandinavians as nature-loving people. This iconic image is partially based on Scandinavia’s vast unpopulated landscape. This geography means people in cities can live close enough to nature to access it freely for recreation. In addition, the unwritten law of Allemansrätten (translated as freedom to roam), gives Swedes and Norwegians access to private and public land, allowing unparalleled freedom to hike, camp, canoe.
Having lived in Norway myself, I can testify there is a general ethos of wellbeing that is ingrained in Norwegian society. It’s universally understood that being amongst nature can reduce stress, boost creativity and increase happiness. So exercising outdoors is actively encouraged.
Lovrafjorden fjord, Norway
This field of Ecotherapy (connecting to nature to improve wellbeing) is not new. In his 1984 book Biophilia, Edward O Wilson suggested that nature is rooted in our DNA and biology, and as such, humans are psychologically pulled toward all things that are alive and vital.
Scandinavia and Biophilia aside, recent studies are now providing strong evidence to back up my own anecdotal musings that nature is good for our mental health. In one of the largest studies of its kind, a new report, involving 95,000 participants across 10 British cities found a ‘protective effect of greenness on depression’. The research shows that urban dwellers who live in greener communities, reduce their odds of developing a major depressive disorder by 4%.
Similarly, researchers at Harvard University published a study investigating the relationship between exposure to green spaces and mortality rates. Studying 100,000 female nurses, across the United States over an 8-year period, they found those living closer to vegetation had a 12% lower mortality rate compared to those living in homes in more urban areas. Importantly, the study identified that improved mental health (measured through lower levels of depression) accounted for nearly 30% of the benefit from living around green spaces. The researchers are quick to point out that the solution isn’t about moving to the countryside. With 84 percent of people in the United States living in urban areas, the team suggests that small things like more trees in the street and more parks in urban areas can have a significant benefit for health.
As urban globalisation continues unabated, and people all over the world flock to cities, the suburban population continues rise at unprecedented rates. The United Nations estimate that by 2050, two-thirds of people in the world will be living in cities. The potential impact of this mass migration on our health is worrying. Statistics tell us that people who live in cities have a 40% increased risk of depression, a 20% increased risk of anxiety and double the risk of schizophrenia. It follows then that a well-designed urban space with significant access to green spaces would have a positive influence on well-being and prevent a worsening of mental health problems.
The potential for urban planners to embrace these revelations and to begin designing cities that promote mental well-being is huge. I personally believe that the intersection between mental health, green spaces, and urban planning represents a truly exciting field. The expertise of mental health professionals combined with the skills of city planners could potentially reshape cities, boost mental wellbeing and safeguard against increases in mortality rates. There are difficulties in combining these two unique professions however. Hans Wirz (Urban Planning Office, Sweden) is quoted as saying that “It took decades for urban designers to integrate biomedical effects of the cityscape into the profession. But when it comes to mental health, we haven’t a clue.”
Layla McCay, Director of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health acknowledges that some city planners believe it is not the remit of designers to incorporate mental health into their work. Others fear they will experience stigma if they discuss mental health outside the general context of ‘happiness’. However, given that mental disorders are responsible for 14% of the worlds disease burden, causing more disability than any other non-communicable disease, perhaps now is the time to reassess these priorities and partner with mental health professionals. This is especially true given the important role urban planners have in creating flourishing cities and reducing mental distress. A good starting point may be to blend The World Health’s Organisation definition of Mental Health, with the descriptor of a sustainable city; in which “citizens can thrive, cope with the demands of everyday life and make a valuable contribution to their community.”
Before such work can go ahead, I believe an analysis of urban inequality is essential to truly understand how socio-economic disparity, deprivation and mental health affects specific populations. This is the domain of psychologists. Their knowledge and research in this field of social justice would be hugely important in assisting urban planners to address the disproportionate mental health difficulties that affect specific communities in the UK and the rest of the world.
