The issue of mental health has been making its round all over social media for the past last decades, as more and more people have been diagnosed with several issue of mental health as research from reliable sources such as the United Nations Forum shows that over 1 billion people globally are currently facing a case of mental disorder. According to a report made by the World Health Organization in 2017, the number of cases of those suffering from mental disorder has increased by over 13% within the last decade.

Various individuals and Non-governmental bodies have come up with different ways of which this people can be helped while also making plans to prevent others from suffering from mental health disorder in the future. And there's one means that may just offer sustainable help to those suffering from mental health disorder. Greenspace.

What is a green space? and how can green spaces offer profitable help to help curb the increasing number of mental disorder and provide help to those already suffering from it?

A Greenspace also known as an open space, is used to describe any area of land that is for the most part of it, covered by vegetation, such as grass, trees, shrubs, and other plants. Green spaces are found in mostly suburban areas. And some of this places could include places such as public park, community gardens, nature reserves, playground, botanical gardens and even some undeveloped natural sites within this suburban regions can also be classified as greenspaces.



To understand how a green space can help improving the mental health of individuals suffering from mental disorder, its important for us to understand clearly what mental health and mental disorder means.

Mental Health can be referred to as a person's state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being with regards to how said individual copes with the normal stress of life, how he/she is rated on work productivity, how positive relationship with other people is maintained and how much he/she contribute to their community. A good mental health is not just the absence of mental illness but also involves a positive of emotional and mental well-being. Some key characteristic to a good mental health include; Emotional Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Positive Self-esteem, social connection etc.



Mental Disorder or Psychiatric disorder can simple be explained as a medical condition that affects an individual ability to perform positively with regards to their behavior, thoughts, emotions or all of the above all at the same time. This condition could lead to a significant distress and further more can cause impairment to how said individual is able to function with regards to their supposed daily activities. Some examples of mental disorder include, Depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), and eating disorder amongst many more that have not yet being diagnosed.



Now that we've understand mental health and mental disorder, lets now see how the use of green spaces can help improve one's mental health.

Various researches made has shown that environmental factors, such as pollution and weather conditions have been attributed to part of the causes to some of this mental disorder. Some greenhouse gas found in the atmosphere causing pollution has been shown to affect how our brain functions. This gases have the potential of causing things such as anxiety and depression as they impair the nervous system that is suppose to help the body with happiness hormones. Further research made has given shown how being exposed to a green space has positively improved mental health.

Here are some key Areas of Research on how greenspaces have achieved improved mental health;

Stress Reduction: Various Research that have been carried out has shown how exposure to green space has been linked to lowering stress levels and even reduce signs of anxiety. How does the green space achieve this? Nature's calming effect has been shown to reduced cortisol levels(This are hormones found in the body known to cause stress) and also increase activities being carried out by the parasympathetic nervous system. Increasing activities in the parasympathetic nervous system leads to a reduced heart rate. This process helps to put the body in a recovery mode, thereby reducing stress level.

Mood Enhancement: Who doesn't like to sit in a quiet garden or over a public park filled with all sort of beautiful and well scented flowers?. Research has constantly attributed that being in an open space can help improve mood and increase the feeling of happiness and contentment. Many people will attest to the fact that being in a the presence of a green space has help in boosting their positive emotions and a sense of overall well-being.



Attention Restoration: The attention restoration theory is a theory that has suggested over and over again that when an individual is exposed to a natural environment, this can help restore and boost cognitive functions and improve focus. The concept of green space provides a respite from the noisy lifestyle often attributed to urban life, hence leading to a improved concentration.



Physical And Mental Health: Green spaces such as public parks, encourages physical activities and engaging in regular exercises that have being well-established to improve ones mental health. And mostly, physical activities when carried out in natural habitats have been proven to be particularly effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Social Interaction And Social Support: As said before, mental health involves ones social well-being, meaning our we fare when in a public space. Public parks and most green spaces often serves as a place where we can be able to interact with others, hence, fostering a sense of community and social support.

Psychological Restoration: Green spaces doe not only give you a focused mind. It also helps to provide you with a sense of escape away from the struggles of our daily life, hence leading to psychological restoration and rejuvenation.


Now, while each of us may have a varied response to green spaces and also our access to green spaces may be limited due to geographic areas and socioeconomic factors. Its is still important to understand that, spending quality time in green spaces can be a valuable and cost effective way to help boost our mental health.