Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This review combined 143 studies (103 observational and 40 intervention) that looked at about 100 health outcomes to see how contact with greenspace relates to health. Overall, more greenspace exposure was linked with lower stress markers, lower heart rate and some lower blood pressure, and with lower risks for outcomes…
This meta-analysis of observational studies found that higher exposure to green space was linked with slightly lower odds of depression and possibly lower odds of anxiety. A 10% increase in the amount of green space was associated with lower odds of depression (OR 0.963; 95% CI 0.948–0.979) and with a…
There is increasing evidence that exposure to plants and green space, and particularly to gardening, is beneficial to mental and physical health, and so could reduce the pressure on NHS services. Health professionals should therefore encourage their patients to make use of green space and to work in gardens, and…
This 2019 scoping review explores how the four classical elements—Fire, Water, Earth, and Air—can map onto modern, changeable exposures and therapies that might affect mental health. The authors summarize emerging evidence from both population studies and intervention trials for things like UV or heat therapy (Fire), sauna and hydrotherapy (Water),…
