Detailed measurements have been made of the environment around individuals’ homes and how much of the ground surface is covered by green space, such as trees and other vegetation, via geographic information systems. At the same time, the incidence of withdrawal of antidepressant medication annually for these people has been investigated.
A representative sample of the Swedish adult population of roughly 100,000 people have been included in the study. Several other important factors regarding individuals and the housing environment, such as income, have also been taken into account.
– Greenery within 50 meters of the home makes a difference to mental health, says Cecilia Stenfors, researcher at Stockholm University. Photo: SVT
Research can be used for sustainable urban planning
Several previous studies show that natural environments can have effects on mental health and cognition. But what this study can add, says Cecilia Stenfors, is that the amount of nature in the form of green space in the individual’s immediate residential environment and the place we actually stay in on a daily basis is important for our mental health.
She sees the knowledge from the new study as useful for, among other things, promoting public health and sustainable urban planning.
– Being surrounded by nature and greenery can have psychological effects such as reducing stress and improving mental recovery, well-being and health, she says.
What can further explain the benefits of having greenery around the house, according to the study, is that green areas can dampen and protect against other stressors in the environment such as noise, air pollution and extreme heat, which can also affect the health of individuals.