Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
A Systematic Review of the Impact Access to Green Spaces has on Rates of Depression in Urban Dwelling Adults
Poster Number
39
Document Type
Poster
Status
Graduate Student - Masters
Abstract Category
Environmental and Occupational Health
Keywords
Greenspace; depression; built environment
Publication Date
4-2017
Abstract
Background: Understanding how the built environment impacts our health is crucial to urban planning and development. Urban environments are ideal settings for studying the impact of green space on chronic, non-communicable disease and disorders, yet a majority of research has focused more broadly mental and physical health.
Objectives: The aim of this review is to examine a specific mental health indicator, depression, and how rates within urban dwelling adults are impacted by the presence of and access to green space within the built environment.
Methods: systematic review of 8 peer-reviewed studies published between 2002 and 2016.
Results: All studies were cross-sectional, and despite heterogeneity in study design, the overall findings indicate that access and exposure to green space mitigate rates of depression in adults.
Conclusions: Evidence of an inverse association between green space access and exposure and rates of depression suggests that urban planning and development, as well as public health practitioners and professionals should factor in green space as part of the built environment to remediate depression rates. Further studies are needed to assess the direct biological mechanisms associated with depression and green space, as well as how measures of frequency, duration, intensity, and proximity to green space impact depression outcomes.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Open Access
1
A Systematic Review of the Impact Access to Green Spaces has on Rates of Depression in Urban Dwelling Adults
Background: Understanding how the built environment impacts our health is crucial to urban planning and development. Urban environments are ideal settings for studying the impact of green space on chronic, non-communicable disease and disorders, yet a majority of research has focused more broadly mental and physical health.
Objectives: The aim of this review is to examine a specific mental health indicator, depression, and how rates within urban dwelling adults are impacted by the presence of and access to green space within the built environment.
Methods: systematic review of 8 peer-reviewed studies published between 2002 and 2016.
Results: All studies were cross-sectional, and despite heterogeneity in study design, the overall findings indicate that access and exposure to green space mitigate rates of depression in adults.
Conclusions: Evidence of an inverse association between green space access and exposure and rates of depression suggests that urban planning and development, as well as public health practitioners and professionals should factor in green space as part of the built environment to remediate depression rates. Further studies are needed to assess the direct biological mechanisms associated with depression and green space, as well as how measures of frequency, duration, intensity, and proximity to green space impact depression outcomes.
Comments
Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.