Nature therapy

[ShrunkenHeads]

There is some evidence that being around nature is uplifting for the spirit.

Anyone ever suggest that with some success?

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[Ibid]

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/branchingout

Branching Out is an innovative development for adults who use mental health services within Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
For each client, the service consists of approximately three hours of activities per week in a woodland setting over a 12 week period.

 

[clement]

isnt that what austen riggs is

 

[ShrunkenHeads]

The closer you live to nature, the healthier you're likely to be.
For instance, people who live within 1 kilometer (.6 miles) of a park or wooded area experience less anxiety and depression, Dutch researchers report.

The findings put concrete numbers on a concept that many health experts had assumed to be true.

"It's nice to see that it shows that, that the closer humans are to the natural environment, that seems to have a healthy influence," said Dr. David Rakel, director of integrative medicine and assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

One previous study had noted fewer health inequalities between rich and poor people in areas with lots of green space, and other studies have echoed these health benefits. But much of this research had relied on people's perceptions of their physical and mental health.

This new objective look at the matter involved scouring medical records of 345,143 people in Holland, assessing health status for 24 conditions, including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases. This information was then correlated with how much green space was located within 1 kilometer and 3 kilometers of a person's postal code.

People living in more urban environments had a higher prevalence of 15 of the 24 conditions, with the relationship strongest for anxiety disorder and depression.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-10-15-nature-anxiety-exercise_N.htm

I think there's something very real here. I wondered why a city like NYC (mainly Manhattan) has been a particularly thriving city. Well, at the heart of it is beautiful Central Park. Without even confirming with socioeconomic reports, using this assumption, I can tell you that the further away you get from CP, you'll see a decline in income and overall health, and an increase in crime. I'm not saying it's the only reason obviously, but I think it's a contributing factor.

They need to get more greenery in hospitals. Or build hospitals closer to nature. Both would be perfect.

Exciting times are ahead.