Naturalist and conservationist John Muir once said, “And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” Most of us can recognize the beauty and importance of nature, but is there any significant effect of nature on our development? Scientist Kristine Engemann and colleagues explore this question in her article “Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood”.
Engemann and colleagues investigated whether the presence of green space in childhood is associated with any risks of developing psychiatric disorders later in life. To investigate this, Engemann and colleagues combined two data sets: a dataset including longitudinal data on socioeconomic status, residence, and mental health outcomes, and a dataset detailing the green space of where this population lived, which utilized satellite imaging to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). They found that increased levels of green space in childhood are associated with a lower risk of developing psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood. (Engemann et al., 2019) These findings were found to be consistent with other research investigating the impacts of green space on mental health.
Engemann and colleagues discuss the possible psychological and physiological mechanisms that might explain why green space is so beneficial for mental health. They highlight the possibility of lower neural activity in individuals who grew up in areas with more green space, as well as how green space can enhance psychological restoration, which could contribute to decreased stress levels. Marc Berman investigates these mechanisms in the field of environmental neuroscience, which investigates the bidirectional relationship between an individual and their external environment. A key element of the field of environmental neuroscience is quantifying features of the environment. (Berman, Stier & Akcelik, 2019) Engeman and colleagues use this quantification in their work by quantifying the amount of green space and using this data in conjunction with longitudinal data about mental health outcomes. Engemann demonstrates this quantification, which Berman believes is key in investigating the relationship between an organism and the environment. Additionally Engemann and colleagues utilize spatial (the greenspace quantification) and temporal (longitudinal data) scales, which Berman explains is key when observing the impact of the environment on the brain.
The work of Engemann and colleagues show the principles of environmental neuroscience in action, and specifically shows that the presence of green space is impactful in our development. These findings hold many implications for urban design, future legislation, and most importantly, how we look at the environment and the brain. Perhaps the methodology used by Engemann and colleagues can be used worldwide. Engemann explains she used Landsat data to calculate NDVI data because “it was free” and suggests this accessibility “ensures that [the] study could be potentially repeated in other countries.” (NASA) Ultimately, there is so much to discover when it comes to the brain and the world we live in.
Berman, M. G., Stier, A. J., & Akcelik, G. N. (2019). Environmental neuroscience. American Psychologist, 74(9), 1039–1052. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000583
Engemann, K., Pedersen, C. B., Arge, L., Tsirogiannis, C., Mortensen, P. B., & Svenning, J.-C. (2019). Residential green space in childhood is associated with lower risk of psychiatric disorders from adolescence into adulthood. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(11), 5188–5193. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807504116
NASA. (n.d.). Green space is good for mental health. NASA. Retrieved October 12, 2022, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145305/green-space-is-good-for-mental-health
No comments:
Post a Comment