A new University of Edinburgh study has suggested that improving local woodlands in deprived urban areas could lead to a reduction in the use of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication.
Researchers analysed data from over 129,000 individuals across five years to track the mental health impact of accessible, well-maintained greenspaces.
The study revealed that people living within a 10-minute walk of an upgraded woodland were 10% less likely to be prescribed antidepressants.
They were also 6% less likely to need anti-anxiety medication compared to those living further away.
The study revealed that people living within a 10-minute walk of an upgraded woodland were 10% less likely to be prescribed antidepressants.
The research, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, assessed the impact of Scottish Forestry’s Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) initiative.
The initiative provided funding for new footpaths, better signage, and community events in socially and financially disadvantaged areas.
Using NHS prescription records and census data, the researchers found the mental health benefits remained consistent even when individuals moved closer to an improved woodland.
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, who led the study at the University of Edinburgh’s College of Art, said: “The research provides stronger evidence on the mental health benefits of woodland improvements for local communities than was possible in earlier studies.
“It also shows that these benefits may contribute to reducing inequalities in health across the population.”
Dr Scott Ogletree, who undertook the analysis, said: “For the first time, we have an opportunity to link data on mental health services with a long-term national urban forestry intervention programme to offer the kind of evidence required to inform future forestry policy.
“Our results tell us that relatively modest investments in local greenspaces can make a real difference to people’s mental health. Nature focused initiatives like WIAT can be a valuable tool to complement ongoing efforts to improve wellbeing and mental health.”
The study, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council, has been published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
This article or a part of it is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.
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