Children dosed with green space make happier adults

By Lyn Dean

a world where urbanization is in- creasing, fewer people have contact In with nature. As more studies emerge linking the value of green space to human health, a recent article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, reports that high levels of childhood green space are associated with lower risk of developing a range of adolescent and adult psychiatric disorders.

During an 18-year time period, the study followed nearly 1 million children in Denmark from birth to age 10, for whom researchers had data on mental health outcomes, socio

economic status and place of residence. High resolution satellite images, from which a vegetative index was developed, provided yearly information on the level of greenery around each individual’s residence. Results showed that children growing up in urban areas with less green space were at higher risk—up to 55%--of developing a psychiatric disorder as an adolescent or adult, independent from other known risk factors such as socioeconomic status.

New York physician and neurologist Oliver Sacks said, in letters published after his passing in 2015, “I cannot say exactly how nature exerts its calming and organizing effects on our brains, but I have seen the restorative and healing powers of nature and gardens… [which] in many cases, are more powerful than any medication.”

Keeping our children dosed on greenery and integrating natural areas into urban planning is essential, not just for the well-known benefi ts of decreasing noise and air pollution, but for supporting psychological restoration, and promoting exercise and social cohesion, as urbanization increases. | CG

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