A new study
published this week in the journal Health & Place has for the first time
found a link between mental health and a view of the sea or ocean.
Carried
out by researchers from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and
Michigan State University in the US, the study looked at a possible association
between an increased visibility of nature and a lower level of psychological
distress.
The team
surveyed around 450 adults in Wellington City, New Zealand and used data on the
visibility of “blue” space and “green” space from residential locations in the
area.
Blue
space included the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, which surround Wellington,
while green space included forests and grassy parks.
After
taking into account factors such as participant’s wealth, age and gender, the
team found that an increased visibility of blue space was significantly
associated with lower levels of psychological distress. However, they did not
find the same results for an increased visibility of green space.
Amber L.
Pearson, one of the co-authors of the study, explained that the visibility of
green space may not have shown the same positive effect as blue space because
the study did not distinguish between different types of green space. Whereas
blue space was all natural in the study, including the sea and ocean, green
space included man-made area such as sports fields as well as all-natural
forests.
“Perhaps
if we only looked at native forests we might find something different,” said
Pearson.
The team
now believes further research is needed to confirm whether blue space can
promote mental well-being in other cities, and if large fresh bodies of water
such as the Great Lakes in the USA also have the same positive effect.
Pearson
also believes that careful planning in highly urbanized areas, such as ocean
views from high-rise buildings, could have the potential to improve mental
health disorders, the leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the
WHO.
The
results follow a 2015 UK study showing that those who lived in areas rated as
more scenic also reported better health. But while areas that were naturally
green were rated as very scenic, and therefore linked with a high rating of
healthiness, a scenic area did not necessarily have to be green.
“Just
because a place is green does not compel us to feel better on its own,” said
researchers. “It seems to be that the beauty of the environment, as measured by
scenicness, is of crucial importance.”
AFP
Relaxnews
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