Children raised in places with less greenery have a 55% higher risk of mental illness

by Leo Rivas

People who spent their childhood in places with little green space were shown by the latest survey that the risk of becoming mental illness in later life was as high as 55%. Green areas tend to be sacrificed in the construction of buildings in cities, but the necessity of urban planning that considers "green lands" that are useful for people's lives is called for.

Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood | PNAS
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/02/19/1807504116

Kids who grow up near green space have better mental health - Quartz
https://qz.com/1559863/kids-who-grow-up-near-green-space-have-better-mental-health/

Researchers at Aarhus University in Denmark used satellite pictures taken from 1985 to 2013 and how many 930,227 children in Denmark from 0 to 10 lived near green spaces I created a map to understand. In the survey, collecting time-series data such as mental health of the subject, socio-economic situation, residential area, researchers compare children's "accessibility to green areas" and "mental health". As a result, a significant relationship was found between psychiatric disorders and ease of access to green spaces.

"When you grow up in a greenery environment consistently in your childhood, the risk of becoming a mental illness in later life will be lower," says Kristine Engemann. Children living in places with the lowest green level are 55% more likely to suffer from mental illness than children who were high in the green area level even if other risk factors are taken into consideration.

by Shelly Pence

Why verdant environment is unknown the mechanism of how improve the mental health of children, in previous research, that people and live in a natural nearby come to the movement, social cohesion is strengthened research The results are also shown. There are also research results indicating that children who attend schools with many green spaces are more aware of cognition than children who attend less school of green space. However, each of the above studies has clarified the "relevance" of the two matters, and caution is required that the causal relationship is not proven.

"The urban environment is typical of what people regard as" stressful "," said Engemann, contaminated air, infectious diseases, poverty in the socio-economic environment, etc. have increased the risk of development of mental illness It was made. Also, in urban areas there are few places where children can relieve stress, but if there is a garden or a park to play after returning from school, even if there is stress, children will be able to recover their intellectual abilities soon I also said that.

by Maarten van den Heuvel

On the other hand, in modern times that more than 50% of the world population live in urban areas, there are certainly better health and educational resources in downtown area. In the center of high density, green spaces tend to be sacrificed to build a building, Engemann says, "It is important that green spaces are recognized not as mere decorations but as valuable valuable for people to live "We insist that emphasis should be placed on urban design focused on connecting people with green.