A walk in the park can soothe mental healthy - New study finds

onnaedo

July 24, 2015 7:08 PM

The study further showed that city dwellers also have a higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses than people living outside urban centers.

___4009924___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___4009924___2015___7___24___20___Nature-walk

A new study has shown that a walk in the park may soothe the mind and, in the process, change the workings of our brains in ways that improve our mental health.

The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

It further showed that city dwellers also have a higher risk for anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses than people living outside urban centers.

Various studies have found that urban dwellers with little access to green spaces have a higher incidence of psychological problems than people living near parks.

Also, city dwellers who visit natural environments have lower levels of stress hormones immediately afterward than people who have not recently been outside.

In a study published last month, Gregory Bratman, a graduate student at Stanford University and his colleagues found that volunteers who walked briefly through a lush, green portion of the Stanford campus were more attentive and happier afterward than volunteers who strolled for the same amount of time near heavy traffic.

However, the study did not examine the neurological mechanisms that might underlie the effects of being outside in nature.

onnaedo