GoKawiilScotland Study Ties Nearby Urban Woodlands to Fewer Antidepressant Prescriptions
Researchers from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow followed over 129,000 people in Scotland for five years, examining the effects of the Woods In and Around Towns program, which has restored roughly 30,000 acres of urban forest since 2005. They found that people who moved within a 10-minute walk of one of these woodlands saw a 10 percent drop in antidepressant prescriptions and a 6 percent drop in anti-anxiety medication use.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, offer rare longitudinal evidence that deliberate investment in accessible green space can produce measurable mental health benefits at a population scale, not just correlational comfort. This bolsters the case for policies like the WHO's recommendation of green space near every home, suggesting urban planning decisions could meaningfully reduce reliance on psychiatric medication.
- Living within a 10-minute walk of a restored urban woodland cut antidepressant prescriptions by 10% and anti-anxiety prescriptions by 6%.
- The study tracked over 129,000 people over five years, linking a real-world Scottish reforestation program to mental health outcomes.
- Findings support calls for urban planners to prioritize accessible green spaces as a low-cost public health intervention.
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Published there as: “Access to Urban Woodlands Linked with Lower Use of Antidepressants”
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