More green space means better mental health: Study

A study conducted by A&M University School of Public Health in Texas has thrown light on the fact that people living in cities with exhaustive green spaces have better mental well-being. The researchers used NatureScore to measure air, noise and light pollution, and the expanse of tree canopies. The places with an 80-100 score are tagged ‘Nature Utopia’ and cities with 0-19 scores are termed ‘Nature Deficient’.

Besides NatureScore, the researchers also used relevant information from the Texas Hospital Outpatient Public Use Data Files of the 2014-2019 period. As many as 6, 13, 91,400 outpatient cases of depression, bipolar disorders, stress and anxiety were picked for the study. The selected data included samples of 1,169 zip code regions in the Texas urban area.

The study showed that mental health issues dipped in a place that had a higher NatureScore. Individuals living in cities with more trees and plants have less stress and anxiety, say the researchers. The findings would be invaluable for urban planning, says Omar M Makram, who headed the research team.