Live in a city? Vibrant green areas may make you happier: Study – National

Surrounded by a symphony of birds and a variety of trees, Canadian city dwellers may be experiencing an unexpected benefit: improved mental health.

According to a Canadian study, Published in Nature last monthfound that living in urban neighbourhoods with high bird diversity and tree species abundance was associated with increased reporting of good mental health.

The study found that people living in areas with a higher number of bird species reported a 6.64 percent higher level of happiness, while people living in areas with a higher number of tree species reported a 5.36 percent higher level of mental health.

These increases were seen even when other factors such as socioeconomic status were taken into account.

“We found a positive correlation between tree diversity and bird diversity in people's postcodes and their mental health,” explained Rachel Buxton, lead author of the study and assistant professor at Carleton University's Institute of Environmental Science.

“There's lots of other research showing that walking in nature is incredibly good for mental and physical health, so our study just adds to the growing body of literature and stories that say, 'getting outside and being in nature is good medicine for your mental and physical health,'” she told Global News.

One in five Canadians experiences mental illness each year. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

As our population ages and urbanizes, it is estimated that within a generation, 8.9 million Canadians will be living with a mental illness. Report of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

meanwhile Research suggests The researchers found that while neighbourhood characteristics and geographic inequalities (such as unemployment, schools and low income) largely explain mental health outcomes, especially in urban environments, other factors such as green space can also have a significant impact on mental health.

To explore the relationship between bird and tree diversity and mental health, the researchers analyzed information on bird and tree species diversity using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007-2022) and the crowdsourcing app eBird and the National Forestry Inventory. They then looked at this data for a number of Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal.

The researchers focused on birds and trees in particular because they represent a form of “passive exposure” to nature, Buxton explained — in other words, you can experience these aspects of nature by simply being outside, like relaxing on your deck at home or walking to the bus stop.

The study found a strong positive correlation between a neighborhood's bird and tree diversity and self-reported mental health.

“It's interesting to see that there are so many factors that influence mental health, including income, education and marital status,” Buxton said.

“But we still found a positive correlation between tree diversity, bird diversity and people's self-reported mental health, and it had roughly the same effect as eating fruits and vegetables.”

The Canadian study is not the first to find a link between nature and improved mental health.

2015 UK studypublished in Journal of International Health Geography Bird species richness has been linked to better or worse bird health. 2021 German Survey Published in Landscape and urban planning Plant and bird species richness was found to be positively correlated with mental health.

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Buxton suggested that the link between bird and tree diversity and mental health could have roots in humans' evolutionary past.

“Humans evolved in the natural environment and took cues from the natural environment,” she said.

“So an environment with a wide variety of life — a wide variety of birds and trees — is a pretty good indicator that the environment can meet all of our needs. There's more to eat, more trees to hide in, and probably more water, because that's what the trees and birds have to eat.”

In an environment rich in birds and trees, our brains go into what Buxton calls “rest and digest” mode, allowing us to mentally recover and recover from a variety of stressors.

“In an environment with fewer species, fewer birds, fewer trees, our needs may not be met. We have to go out and go a little further to look for things. We have to investigate our surroundings, which starts to trigger the fight-or-flight response. And the stress response kicks in,” she added.

Although it is estimated that the number of trees on streets and in parks in Canadian municipalities is increasing, the researchers found that: Natural forest area They are declining, and urban tree mortality is predicted to increase due to climate change, disease and pests.

nevertheless Canadian cities are experiencing biodiversity lossMr Buxton said great work such as tree planting was still underway. Pollination Project A community garden will also be established to help the natural environment thrive.

“Given the association between tree and bird diversity and self-rated mental health at the urban neighbourhood level in Canada, integrated nature-based interventions that enhance biodiversity can be considered an important tool for public health planning and policy in Canadian municipalities,” the study concludes.

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