Mental Health and Green Space

Dr.
Qasim Jamal chachar

MBBS, MCPS, FCPS (Psy)
Assistant Prof. Department of Psychiatry LUMHS &
CJIP Hyderabad
 Mental health conditions are one of the main causes of the
overall disease burden worldwide.
 An estimated global cost of £1.6 trillion per year.
 Health systems across the world have not yet responded
adequately to the current burden of mental disorders, and the gap
between the need for treatment and its provision is wide.
 There is an urgent global need for accessible and cost-effective
pro-mental health infrastructure.
 Public green spaces were officially designated in the 19th
century, informed by a belief that they might provide health
benefits.
 There is growing evidence from modern research in the support
of green spaces have a pivotal role in population-level mental
and physical health.
 Greenspace is an umbrella term used to describe either
maintained or unmaintained environmental areas, which can
include nature reserves, wilderness environments and urban
parks such as formal parks, greenways, and gardens around
homes, schools, and workplaces.
 Green space itself is also much more complex than a single
entity, and may take the form of a sports pitch, cemetery,
allotment, or many others.
 Often, particularly in urban contexts, green spaces are

purposefully designated for their recreational or aesthetic
merits.
 These green spaces provide a peaceful place to play, relax,
study, or exercise, as well as a social gathering place for
friends and community;
 They also can contribute to improved air quality and
reduction of harmful greenhouse gases
 The brain, complex and vulnerable, is the only organ that
undergoes substantial maturation after birth.
 This process is shaped in part by response to stimuli in our
surroundings (including both negative and positive
conditions), and continues throughout our lives.1
 Substantial research shows that natural scenes evoke
positive emotions, facilitate cognitive functioning, and
promote recovery from mental fatigue for people who are in
good mental health.
 The experience of nature can also provide respite for those
who experience short-term and chronic mental illness.2
 1. Grinde, B., and G.G. Patil. 2009. Biophilia: Does Visual Contact with Nature Impact on Health and Well-Being? International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health 6, 9: 2332-343.
 2. Han, K.T. 2010. An Exploration of Relationships Among the Responses to Natural Scenes: Scenic Beauty, Preference, and
Restoration. Environment and Behavior 42, 2: 243.

 Global urbanization has reduced access to and
engagement with Greenspace, but there is good
evidence of a positive relationship between levels of
neighborhood green space and mental health and
well-being.
 Individuals have less mental distress, less anxiety
and depression, greater wellbeing and healthier
cortisol profiles when living in urban areas with more
green space compared with less green space (van
den Berg et al, 2010).
 Large differences in disease prevalence are reported
when comparing residents of very green and less
green settings, even after controlling for
socioeconomic status (Maas et al, 2009).
 Quantity of nearby green space buffers life stresses
– a finding demonstrated across ages and cultures,
having been observed both in an adult and childhood
population (Wells & Evans, 2003).
 Characteristics of nature environments can promote affordances
both for acute positive psychological experiences and for physical
activity that in turn promotes well-being.
 A positive correlation between green space availability and
physical activity level has been evidenced in systematic reviews.
 Indeed, physical activity at least partially mediates the positive
relationship between neighborhood green space and mental
health and well-being.
 People who use the natural environment for physical activity at
least once per week have about half the risk of poor mental
health compared with those who do not do so; and each extra
weekly use of the natural environment for physical activity
reduces the risk of poor mental health by a further 6%
(Mitchell, 2013).
 Blue spaces (rivers, lakes and coasts) are as important as green:
it is not the color that matters but the opportunity to behave and
respond in a particular way (White et al, 2016).

 Acute psychological outcomes of time spent in greenspaces have
also been reported; beyond greenspaces functioning to promote
pro-mental health behaviours, these environments have
characteristics that can offer more positive experiences than
equivalent time spent in other environments.
 Simple exposure to nature environments is psychologically

restorative and has beneficial influences on individuals’ emotions
and ability to reflect on life problems.
 Regarding physical activity, compared with built or indoor

settings, green settings enhance exercise-associated
improvements in affective state and attentional capacity;
 laboratory-based research has found that simply viewing

simulated nature during exercise can also enhance these
outcomes.

 Greenspaces are often used in a targeted way to deliver
structured therapeutic interventions for vulnerable
groups such as youth at risk, individuals living with
dementia or mental ill-health, probationers and stressed
employees.
 Interventions include wilderness therapy, social and

therapeutic horticulture, facilitated environmental
conservation, care farming, ecotherapy, nature-based
arts and crafts, and animal-assisted interventions.
 A condition that has detrimental effects on social,
cognitive, and psychological growth.
 Studies show that childhood ADHD symptoms can
be reduced through activities in green settings and
that “green time” may be an important supplement to
established drug-based and behavioral treatments.3
 In a study, children diagnosed with ADHD)
performed better on an objective concentration test
after exposure to a relatively natural urban setting as
compared to a less natural urban setting
3. Kuo, F.E., and A.F. Taylor. 2004. A Potential Natural Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Evidence From a
National Study. American Journal of Public Health 94, 9: 1580.

 Alzheimer's is a type of dementia that causes memory
impairment, intellectual decline, temporal and spatial
disorientation, impaired ability to communicate and
make logical decisions, and decreased tolerance to
high and moderate levels of stimulation.
 Certain environments can provide prosthetic support
for dementia patients to compensate for their reduced
cognitive capabilities.4
 For example, spaces that have dead-ends or are
crowded can increase frustration and anxiety in
Alzheimer’s-diagnosed residents.
4. Mooney, P., and P.L. Nicell. 1992. The Importance of Exterior Environment for Alzheimer Residents: Effective
Care and Risk Management. Healthcare Management Forum 5, 2: 23-29.

Stress Relief and Depression
 In addition to physiological symptoms, stress can lead to
depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, exhaustion, and fatigue
syndromes.5
 Stress can occur at any time in life and can negatively affect
people’s perceptions of their well-being, including a poor
perception of their own mental health.
 Physical activity has been linked to improvements in mental
health and stress.
 More than 100 studies have shown that relaxation and stress
reduction are significant benefits associated with spending time
in green areas.3
 Depression also occurs at any age and can be helped through
improved social connections and exercise, both of which are
promoted by having nearby green outdoor spaces.
 The value of green spaces in encouraging exercise is relevant to
treating depression symptoms.
5.Grahn, P., and U.K. Stigsdotter. 2010. The Relation Between Perceived Sensory Dimensions of Urban Green Space and Stress
Restoration. Landscape and Urban Planning 94, 3-4: 264-275.
1. Hartig et al. (2014) suggested four principal and
interacting pathways through which nature or green
space may contribute to health:
 Improved air quality,
 Enhanced physical activity,
 Stress reduction and
 Greater social cohesion.
2. Lachowycz & Jones (2013) emphasized:
 Physical activity,
 Engagement with nature
 Relaxation, and
 Social activities and interactions as major pathways
to health.
 THANKS

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Dr.

Qasim Jamal chachar

 Often, particularly in urban contexts, green spaces are

 Simple exposure to nature environments is psychologically

 Regarding physical activity, compared with built or indoor

 laboratory-based research has found that simply viewing

 Interventions include wilderness therapy, social and

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