United States – Want to feel happier?
Live in and in the vicinity of someplace so rich in nature, a new survey suggests.
Benefits Last Beyond the Moment
Natural wonders where we see different kinds of flora and fauna are closely linked to better mental health compared to species-poor suburban landscapes (researchers say), as reported by HealthDay.
Furthermore, the study asserts that benefits from spending time in these kinds of locations can persist for up to eight hours later.
“Our results highlight that by protecting and promoting natural diversity, we can maximize the benefits of nature for mental well-being,” said study author Ryan Hammoud, a research assistant with King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.
“Our results suggest that biodiversity is critical not only for the health of our natural environments but also for the mental well-being of the people who live in these environments,” Mechelli said in a college news release. “It is time to recognize that biodiversity brings co-benefits for planetary and human health and needs to be considered vital infrastructure within our cities.”
Urban Planning for Happiness
Likewise, cities could make residents happier by constructing parks that “mirror the biodiversity of natural ecosystems” as much as possible instead of green spaces with mowed lawns and no features like trees or bushes, according to Hammoud.
“By showing how natural diversity boosts our mental well-being, we provide a compelling basis for how to create greener and healthier urban spaces,” Hammoud said.
Quantifying Nature’s Impact
In this study, the researchers had 2000 people respond to the questionnaire three times a day for two weeks, giving information about their present circumstances and their mental health. The study covered the period between April 2018 and September 2023, and we gathered over 41,000 score charts.
Researchers explained that diversity was natural by counting how many out of four environmental features–trees, plants, birds, and water–were around them.
According to published studies, the data revealed that nearly one-fourth of nature’s positive effect on psychological health was determined by the diversity of nearby natural elements.
The recently published article in the journal Scientific Reports is a new study.
Addressing Global Biodiversity Challenges
The researchers stated that policies and procedures that will help in the protection of the natural environment and the species that live in it benefit both the human mind and the environment, as reported by HealthDay.
The situation regarding climate change is even more severe nowadays, the UK is ranked among the most biodiverse, and the situation is global, said senior researcher Andrea Mechelli, a professor of early intervention in mental health at the King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience.