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Spending time in green space improves mental health: Study

Transforming areas into green space will have the biggest impact on those living in poverty, the study suggests.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
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Mon, July 30, 2018

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Spending time in green space improves mental health: Study Urban green space in Shanghai, China. (Shutterstock/File)

Spending time in an open, green space can significantly improve your mental health, according to a recent study.

The study was done in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where an increase in green space was proven to reduce stress levels and feelings of neglect, as reported by kompas.com.

Up to 541 areas were identified in the study, which were then divided into green areas and waste disposal areas. Some other areas were left as they were.

During a span of one-and-a-half years, before and after interviews with citizens residing in the areas were conducted. Those residing in the green areas were shown to have a decrease in depression and feelings of neglect by 41 and 51 percent compared to those residing in the other areas.

Read also: Expert urges Jakarta to focus on adding more green spaces

Dr. Eugenia South, a contributor to the study and an assistant professor from Pennsylvania University’s Faculty of Medicine, said transforming areas into green space would have the biggest impact on those living with poverty.

“Poverty hit areas are the ones with the biggest impact. People who live there have the potential to have bad health because of their environment. So a transformation of land into a green space is very crucial,” she says. (anm/kes)

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