Exposure to great outdoors boosted mental health during pandemic
Study finds those who spent more time in green spaces reported less depression, anxiety

Date:
March 2, 2022
Source:
University of Colorado at Boulder
Summary:
New research has found that people who spent more time in green
spaces reported less anxiety and depression during the first year of
the pandemic. Merely having abundant green space nearby, as measured
by satellite images, was associated with lower depression scores.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== People exposed to more green space during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic reported significantly less depression and anxiety, according
to new University of Colorado Boulder research published March 2 in the
journal PLOS One.


==========================================================================
The study also found that, at a time when mental health problems soared
due to financial woes, supply shortages and nonstop news coverage of
the virus, people sought solace in the great outdoors, with one-third
spending more time there than they did pre-COVID.

"This research shows how critical it is to keep parks and green spaces
open in times of crisis," said senior author Colleen Reid, an assistant professor of geography in the Institute for Behavioral Science. "It also
shows that, as a public health measure, more effort should be made to put
in green spaces and make them accessible." For the study, the authors presented about 1,200 Denver-area residents with a 30-minute survey
gauging their mental health and their perceptions of green space near
their home, including: how much there was, whether they could see it,
whether it was accessible, how much they used it and its quality. They
also collected aerial satellite imagery to objectively quantify greenery
in respondents' neighborhoods.

The survey ran from November 2019 to January 2021.

Once COVID-19 emerged and lockdowns ensued, Reid added additional
questions, providing a rare opportunity to also look at how the pandemic influenced mental health over time and what was most stressful about it.



==========================================================================
"Not surprisingly, we found that the pandemic impacted mental health negatively," said co-author Emma Rieves, a master's student in the
Department of Geography. "But we also found that green space could have
a powerful protective effect, even at a time of such extraordinary
stressors." Supply shortages and job losses stressed people out
Surprisingly, the study found no association between being diagnosed
with COVID and having poor mental health. But respondents reported that
having symptoms, no diagnosis and no way to test was distressing.

Those who lost income or felt they were working in an unsafe environment
were also more likely to be stressed or depressed, while the strongest
source of mental health problems was a fear of supply shortages (including toilet paper and food).

People who spent a lot of time scrolling the internet looking at the
news reported poorer mental health. In contrast, merely having abundant
green space nearby, as measured by satellite images, was associated with
lower depression scores.



==========================================================================
To get the most benefit out of nearby green space, the study found,
people had to get out and use it. Those who used green space most had significantly lower anxiety and depression.

"There are many dimensions of green space, and our study looked closely
at how these dimensions impact mental health," said Rieves, noting that policymakers often rely solely on objective measures, like satellite
images or proximity to parks when assessing whether to invest in more
greenery in a community.

On a satellite image, Rieves points out, a large patch of greenery could actually be a weed-filled lot. A 'nearby park' could be on the other
side of a busy highway.

"It's not just about being able to see trees from your home. The amount, quality and accessibility of that green space matters," said Rieves.

Many public agencies closed public green spaces, including neighborhood playgrounds and national parks, at the onset of the pandemic for fear
that the virus could be easily spread via surfaces. Once parks reopened,
with places like gyms, bars and churches still closed, Coloradans flocked
to the outdoors: 33% of respondents reported spending more time in parks
or on trails than the year before.

The 'biophilia hypothesis' The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that green space can have a measurable impact on health.

According to one theory, known as the 'biophilia hypothesis,' humans
innately tend to seek connections with green spaces, where the calming environment influences stress hormones in a way that promotes healing
and fends off disease.

"The idea is that we have evolved with nature, and only in the recent
past have we been living in the concrete jungle," said Reid.

One famous 1984 study even found that when hospital patients had rooms
with a window looking out on green space, their wounds healed faster and
they required less pain medication than those looking out on a brick wall.

Reid cautioned that correlations between green space and health have
been scrutinized, in part because people with higher incomes and, thus,
better access to healthy food and health care may also be more able to
afford to live near green spaces.

To address that, Reid's study took sociodemographic factors into account,
along with the many unique circumstances that have emerged during COVID.

After controlling for all the factors, the benefits still remained clear: "Spend more time outside," Rieves said. "Pandemic or no pandemic,
it's good for your mental health." special promotion Get a free
digital "Metabolism Myths" issue of New Scientist and discover the 7
things we always get wrong about diet and exercise. Claim_yours_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Colorado_at_Boulder. Original written by Lisa
Marshall. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Colleen E. Reid, Emma S. Rieves, Kate Carlson. Perceptions of
green space
usage, abundance, and quality of green space were associated with
better mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among residents
of Denver.

PLOS ONE, 2022; 17 (3): e0263779 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263779 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220302150329.htm

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