Abstract
Despite growing evidence of public health benefits from urban green space there has been little longitudinal analysis. This study used panel data to explore three different hypotheses about how moving to greener or less green areas may affect mental health over time. The samples were participants in the British Household Panel Survey with mental health data (General Health Questionnaire scores) for five consecutive years, and who relocated to a different residential area between the second and third years (n = 1064; observations = 5320). Fixed-effects analyses controlled for time-invariant individual level heterogeneity and other area and individual level effects. Compared to premove mental health scores, individuals who moved to greener areas (n = 594) had significantly better mental health in all three postmove years (P = .015; P = .016; P = .008), supporting a "shifting baseline" hypothesis. Individuals who moved to less green areas (n = 470) showed significantly worse mental health in the year preceding the move (P = .031) but returned to baseline in the postmove years. Moving to greener urban areas was associated with sustained mental health improvements, suggesting that environmental policies to increase urban green space may have sustainable public health benefits.
Highlights
Unipolar depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability in middle to high income countries,[1] making mental health and wellbeing a critical modern public health issue
Movers to greener areas, who were currently living in less green areas, had lower mean General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) scores at to Move: Reference 2 Years Premove (T−2) (9.78) than movers to less green areas, who were currently living in more green areas, (10.15)
This study aimed to explore the longitudinal effects of changes in environmental green space on mental health through examination of the impact of home relocation to a greener urban area
Summary
Unipolar depressive disorders are the leading cause of disability in middle to high income countries,[1] making mental health and wellbeing a critical modern public health issue. Such selective migration might result from people who are already more physically active moving to areas that provide exercise opportunities,[13] or the higher incomes of people with good mental health[14] enabling them to pay higher housing costs in greener areas.[15] To date most epidemiological research has used cross-sectional data which limits causal inferences.[10,11] Are people happier and healthier due to the proximity of green space to their homes, or do healthier people move to greener areas? Such selective migration might result from people who are already more physically active moving to areas that provide exercise opportunities,[13] or the higher incomes of people with good mental health[14] enabling them to pay higher housing costs in greener areas.[15]
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