Home gardens can be more important than other urban green infrastructure for mental well-being during COVID-19 pandemics

Abstract

The current COVID-19 pandemics is a major threat to human populations. The disease has rapidly spread, causing mass hospitalization and the loss of millions of people mainly in urban areas which are hubs for contagion. At the same time, the social distancing practices required for containing the outbreak have caused an eruption of mental illnesses that include symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. The severity of such mental distress is modulated by the context of media coverage and the information and guidelines from local health authorities. Different urban green infrastructures, such as gardens, parks, and green views can be important for mitigating mental distress during the pandemics. However, it is unclear whether some urban green infrastructures are more efficient than others in reducing mental distress or whether their effectiveness changes with the context. Here we assess the relative importance of different urban green infrastructures on the mental distress of residents of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We show that although urban parks and green views are important, home gardens are the most efficient in mitigating mental distress. This is likely related to the practice of self-isolation seen for the residents of Rio de Janeiro. Information on the efficiency of different urban green infrastructures in mitigating mental distress can be important to help guide programs to inform the public about the best practices for maintaining mental health during the current outbreak. This can also help planning cities that are more resilient to future pandemics.