Cited by 604Urban Green Space and HealthCOVID-19 and Mental HealthCOVID-19 impact on air quality

Contact with blue-green spaces during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown beneficial for mental health.

Open access
Pouso, Sarai, Borja, Ángel, Fleming, Lora E., Gómez-Baggethun, Erik, White, Mathew P., Uyarra, María C.·2021·Science of The Total Environment

Abstract

There is growing evidence that ecosystem services and especially the exposure to the natural world (blue-green spaces) have potential benefits for mental health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures adopted to control it provide a natural experiment to investigate the links between nature exposure and mental health under extreme conditions. Using a survey distributed online, we tested the following hypotheses: 1) People will show greater symptoms of depression and anxiety under lockdown conditions that did not allow contact with outdoor nature spaces; 2) Where access to public outdoor nature spaces was strictly restricted, (2a) those with green/blue nature view or (2b) access to private outdoor spaces such as a garden or balcony will show fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety, and a more positive mood. Based on 5218 responses from 9 countries, we found that lockdown severity significantly affected mental health, while contact with nature helped people to cope with these impacts, especially for those under strict lockdown. People under strict lockdown in Spain (3403 responses), perceived that nature helped them to cope with lockdown measures; and emotions were more positive among individuals with accessible outdoor spaces and blue-green elements in their views. These findings can help decision-makers in developing potential future lockdown measures to mitigate the negative impacts, helping people to be more resilient and maintain better mental health, using the benefits that ecosystem services are providing us.

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  1. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Synthesis 2005 Island Press Washington, DC

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Authors
Pouso, S., Borja, Á., Fleming, L. E., Gómez-Baggethun, E., White, M. P., & Uyarra, M. C.
Affiliations
  • AZTI (ES)
  • King Abdulaziz University (SA)
  • University of Exeter (GB)
  • University of Vienna (AT)
Corresponding author
Pouso, Sarai
Venue
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-02
Volume
756
Pages
143984
ISSN
0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3109603669
Cited by
604
References
83
Citations by year
2026: 53 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 122 · 2023: 106 · 2022: 148 · 2021: 97 · 2020: 1
FWCI
35.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • AZTI Institutional Repository (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Funders
  • Horizon 2020
  • Hezkuntza, Hizkuntza Politika Eta Kultura Saila, Eusko Jaurlaritza
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › COVID-19 impact on air quality
Keywords
green and blue spaces, nature exposure, mental health, COVID-19 lockdown, depression, anxiety, mood, ecosystem services, coping, resilience, private outdoor space
MeSH terms
Parks, Recreational, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Communicable Disease Control, Humans, Mental Health, Spain, Ecosystem, Pandemics

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