Children living in surroundings with more greenspace tend to have lower anxiety, study finds

A study in Spain found that children who had more greenspace surrounding their home and school tended to have lower levels of anxiety. Increasing children’s exposure to greenspaces might promote mental health in youth. The paper was published in Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Mental health refers to a state of well-being in which an individual can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to their community. The most common mental health issues in children include anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and behavior disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). Depression and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) also significantly affect children’s mental health and development.

Studies have firmly established that many mental health issues in adulthood have their origin in the developmental period which is childhood. This is the reason why it is important to know what happens in these early years of life that is relevant for mental health, but also how to promote mental health in children and prevent the development of mental health disorders.

Previous research has demonstrated that environmental factors are pivotal in both the development of psychopathology and the preservation of mental health. Among these factors, the presence of green space in children’s environments has garnered significant interest from researchers.

Greenspace are areas of vegetation within urban environments, such as parks, gardens, and natural landscapes, which are set aside for recreational and aesthetic purposes. These spaces provide ecological benefits, improve air quality, and offer residents opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. Studies emphasize the importance of these spaces for the mental health of individuals residing nearby.

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Study authors Núria de la Osa and her colleagues wanted to examine the association between long-term exposure to greenspace at school and at home and anxiety in preschool children and preadolescents. They conducted their study in Barcelona, a province located on the northeastern coast of Spain. Barcelona is the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia, and is the second most populated city in Spain. The city has one of the highest population densities and air pollution levels in Europe.

The study involved 622 children and their families, participating in a longitudinal study on psychopathology risk factors from the age of 3. Over a 9-year period, researchers visited the families four times—when the children were aged 3, between 4-8, at 9, and at 10-11 years old—to measure the green space near the children’s homes and schools.

They used satellite imagery to determine the amount of green space and its proximity. During these visits, researchers also evaluated the children’s anxiety symptoms using age-appropriate assessment tools (the Child Behavior Checklist, the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for Parents, and the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale).

The findings indicated a correlation between proximity to green space and its abundance: the more green space available, the closer the nearest green space was. Additionally, children with greater exposure to green space exhibited fewer anxiety symptoms. This correlation persisted across different measures of exposure to green space and various assessments of anxiety, with a more pronounced association observed in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

The study authors concluded, “Our study of children followed over a 9-year period between preschool and preadolescence showed that higher surrounding greenspace at home and school was associated with less anxiety symptoms. We also found indications for a stronger association for children with lower SES [socioeconomic status]. These findings, if confirmed by future studies, call for considering the inclusion of adequate levels of greenspace in the neighborhoods as well as schools to promote mental health in urban children.”

The study sheds light on the links between environment and mental health. However, it is important to note that the study’s design does not allow for causal inferences. While it is plausible that green space benefits mental health, it is also possible that families with better mental health are more likely to choose or afford living environments with more green space.

The paper, ”Long-term exposure to greenspace and anxiety from preschool and primary school children,” was authored by Núria de la Osa, Jose-Blas Navarro, Eva Penelo, Antonia Valentí, Lourdes Ezpeleta, Payam Dadvand.