CHILDREN RAISED in rural areas face a reduced risk of depression in later life.
That’s according to a new study coming out of Denmark that shows youngsters living in green spaces are up to 55 per cent less likely to suffer mental health problems as adults.
Using satellite data collected between 1985 and 2013, researchers from Aarhus University were able to accurately assess the green space available around the childhood homes of some one million Danes.
The data collected was then directly compared against the statistical risk of developing a mental disorder in later life, with 16 different mental disorders factored in.
The results were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and indicate people growing up surrounded by green space were at less risk of developing a mental-health disorder.
The researchers, led by Dr Kristine Engemann, pointed to the fact green spaces create sociable communities and encourage more exercise.
This, in turn, improves cognitive development in children, resulting in a positive impact on their overall mental health.
Contrastingly, the study also highlighted how that noise, air pollution, infections and poor socioeconomic conditions could increase the risk of a mental disorder.
“We have had the opportunity to use a massive amount of data from Danish registers of, among other things, residential location and disease diagnoses, and compare it with satellite images revealing the extent of green space surrounding each individual when growing up,” Dr. Engemann said.
“With our dataset, we show that the risk of developing a mental disorder decreases incrementally the longer you have been surrounded by green space from birth and up to the age of 10.
“Green space throughout childhood is therefore extremely important.
“There is increasing evidence that the natural environment plays a larger role for mental health than previously thought.
“Our study is important in giving us a better understanding of its importance across the broader population.”
Ireland boasts one of the highest proportions of people living in rural areas in the European Union, according to a previous survey from Eurostat.
Around 42%of Irish people live in rural areas compared with the EU average of 27%. Just 35% of Ireland’s population lives in cities, compared with the EU average of 41%.
