Planting trees in the city would reduce the consumption of antidepressants

While more than 3.5 billion people live in urban areas, the presence of trees in this environment is said to have beneficial effects on mental well-being. This could even reduce the prescription of antidepressants, according to a study by the Center for Environmental Research in Leipzig (Germany), published in Nature magazine.

“Street trees are an important component of the biodiversity of urban green spaces, but little is known about their effects on mental health. We sought to analyze the link between the density of street trees and the variety species, with the prescription of antidepressants in nearly 9,800 inhabitants of Leipzig, Germany” explains Mélissa Marselle, environmental psychologist and main author of the study.

Researchers found that having trees within 100m of your home seemed to reduce the risk of depression, especially among people socio-economically disadvantaged. “Our study shows that everyday nature close to home, the biodiversity that we see through the window or when we walk to work or go shopping, is important for mental health” underlines the psychologist.

See trees, the sky and hear the sound of birds

Already in 2018, researchers from King’s College London had combined their skills with landscape architects in order to on the beneficial effects of nature on mental health. For examine how exposure to the urban environment affects mental well-being in real time, they then created a smartphone application (called Urban Mind) aiming to assess in real time the relationship between mental well-being and nature in the city.

Scientists had found that being outdoors, feeling connected to nature, seeing trees, the sky and hearing the sound of birds were associated with higher levels of mental well-being. The beneficial effects were even greater in those who had a high level of impulsivity. The benefits were immediate but also lasted over time, several hours after exposure to nature.

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