Proximity to City Forests Correlates With Fewer Depression Prescriptions
A Scottish study tracking over 129,000 people for five years found that moving within a 10-minute walk of a publicly accessible urban woodland reduced the odds of antidepressant prescriptions by 10 percent and anti-anxiety medications by 6 percent. The research evaluated the Woods In and Around Towns program, which has improved nearly 30,000 acres of green space in deprived neighborhoods since 2005. The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, suggest modest investments in local green infrastructure can yield measurable mental health benefits.
The study tracked over 129,000 Scots for five years, linking relocation near a Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) site to a 10% drop in antidepressant prescriptions and a 6% drop in anti-anxiety medications. WIAT, launched in 2005, has improved nearly 30,000 acres of urban woodland in deprived areas by adding signs, trails, and paths. Prior research cited in the article connects green-space proximity to reduced stress, improved mood, and lower anxiety or depression risk, with the WHO recommending at least one acre of green space within 1,000 feet of every home.
This finding could influence urban planning and public health policy, suggesting that modest investments in accessible green infrastructure may yield measurable mental health benefits for residents, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. If replicated, such evidence may encourage cities to prioritize woodland restoration as a low-cost complement to clinical care, potentially easing prescription burdens and improving community well-being. However, causality remains uncertain, and effects may vary by population and local context.