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Living near urban green spaces linked to lower prevalence of depression among older adults. Why? Social support levels are higher among older adults living around these spaces. Urban policy implications: Enhancing access to urban green spaces may be a promising intervention for reducing depression among older individuals.
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Target audience
Researchers working in the fields of urban and environmental health; Urban planners and city architects; Local government officials or city council members; Community and senior organisations
The problem
The world population is ageing rapidly, and the most prevalent mental health problem in older adults is depression. Depression later in life can have serious consequences, and therefore, we need a well-rounded understanding of its environmental determinants. Natural spaces like green and blue spaces may protect older adults against depression. Older adults spend a great deal of time in their neighbourhood surroundings, making them particularly vulnerable to the presence or lack thereof of natural spaces.
What we did and why
We investigated the association between exposure to different types of natural spaces and depression among older adults and the behavioural, social and environmental mediators underlying the observed associations. We used georeferenced data from an urban population-based cohort from Portugal. We assessed depression using the Geriatric Depression Scale. We assessed greenness using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and evaluated accessibility to green and blue spaces. We computed metrics separately for agricultural, natural, and urban green spaces.
Our study’s contribution
We addressed various knowledge gaps. We focused on older adults, considered various categories of natural spaces, including blue spaces, and investigated factors like pollution, temperature, and social support. We found that:
-Proximity to urban green spaces was linked to lower odds of depression
-Agricultural and natural spaces were associated with higher odds
-Associations were mediated by social support that was higher near urban green space
-Blue spaces, green space size, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index showed no association
Impacts for city policy and practice
Increasing the availability of urban green spaces, even small pocket green spaces, should be considered a promising intervention for reducing depression among older individuals.
However, not all green spaces confer mental health benefits; therefore, researchers and professionals should consider the differential effects of different categories of greenery.
Further information: Research Lab for Health and Territory
Further information
Full research article:
Exposure to green and blue spaces and depression among older adults from the EPIPorto cohort: examining environmental, social, and behavioral mediators and varied space types by Ana Isabel Ribeiro, Marieke Behlen, Ana Henriques, Milton Severo, Cláudia Jardim Santos and Henrique Barros
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