Access to Urban Woodlands Linked with Lower Use of Antidepressants

ElijahLynn•about 2 hours ago

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5...

The study, linked to from the article.

ElijahLynn•about 2 hours ago

> Findings A total of 129 335 adults were included in the final sample. In the cross-sectional, between-individual analysis, we observed a greater risk (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1·10 [95% CI 1·03–1·20] p<0·05) of antidepressant prescription for those living within 800 m (approximately 10-min walk) of an improved woodland compared with those living further away, but no significant difference in the risk of anxiolytic prescription. In the longitudinal, within-individual analysis, we observed lower prescription use for antidepressants (aOR 0·90 [95% CI 0·87–0·93] p<0·01) and anxiolytics (aOR 0·94 [0·90–0·99] p<0·01) during periods spent living within 800 m of an improved woodland when compared with periods spent living beyond 800 m of an improved woodland.

AnthonBerg•about 6 hours ago

My catchprase as of late: Everything is pulmonary.

Apropos of nothing.

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/01.res.50.3.325

ossicones•about 6 hours ago

There's a strange contradiction in the findings, even just those in the abstract. When they look across individuals and try to predict antidepressant use based on exposure to woodlands, they find higher use among those who live closer to woodlands. It's only when they look at individual trajectories that they see reduced antidepressant use lining up with periods where they lived closer to woodlands.

It's almost like the same type of people who use antidepressants also like to live near woodlands. And they get depressed when they don't live near woodlands.

galleywest200•about 1 hour ago

Could be that woodlands grow better in areas with more rain and thus less sun and thus more cases of seasonal depression?

dmicah•about 3 hours ago

In the abstract they argue that this is because the woodland improvement program located woods in socioeconomically deprived areas. But in general they shouldn't be making any causal claims with observational data like this. It's a frequent problem that popular press takes a study and reframes an association as causation for their story.

nikole9696•about 2 hours ago

I mean, anecdata, but after staring at a monitor from a chair all day, it really does my heart and brain good to go for a walk outside in my local preserve. I notice a big difference when I can't go for whatever reason (usually weather related). The preserve is quiet and peaceful in ways the local street is not.

But moving to within some distance doesn't mean they went walking there. I'm not sure how valid this study is. I think we've already done studies regarding sunlight exposure and just getting outside being good for you (assuming your environment is not bad). So was it just being outside made them feel better, and having the paths and whatnot made it more likely that they would go for a walk? Or even maybe just more likely that they take breaks? I know I'm terrible at taking breaks.

b112•about 3 hours ago

With the property values in Palo Alto, I almost expect a dude funded this study, just to boost a property value by a few million. Eg, one near Standford Hills or whatever.

(it does feel nice to walk in nature though)

stevenwoo•about 1 hour ago

There’s a general benefit to the SF Bay Area outside Palo Alto as each municipality, county, state, federal and open space organizations like the Midpeninsula Open Space District have been maintaining and increasing public parks under their respective jurisdictions open to most all, and free to non drivers. Only my personal experience but it’s a sharp contrast to Texas where 95 percent of land is privately owned and access to open space is much more limited by comparison. I had a few favorite parks in Texas and new ones since I left 30 years ago are close to nil - there’s still a bit extra you can pay the owner for access.

hresvelgr•about 2 hours ago

> A study from Scotland

This is not a snipe, please go outside. Take some deep breaths, be around some flora, and fauna. This kind of cynical non-sequitur tells me you're looking for something to be frustrated at.

Access to Urban Woodlands Linked with Lower Use of Antidepressants

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