The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review
Abstract Mental disorders affect many different groups around the world, and disadvantaged groups are often more severely affected. Neighbourhood green spaces (GS) can improve mental health, especially in disadvantaged groups. Many countries address social inequality and inequity through GS interven...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02970-1 |
| _version_ | 1797219969665073152 |
|---|---|
| author | Zheng Xian Tomoki Nakaya Kun Liu Bing Zhao Junhua Zhang Jiao Zhang Yuxuan Lin Jinguang Zhang |
| author_facet | Zheng Xian Tomoki Nakaya Kun Liu Bing Zhao Junhua Zhang Jiao Zhang Yuxuan Lin Jinguang Zhang |
| author_sort | Zheng Xian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Mental disorders affect many different groups around the world, and disadvantaged groups are often more severely affected. Neighbourhood green spaces (GS) can improve mental health, especially in disadvantaged groups. Many countries address social inequality and inequity through GS interventions. However, current evidence shows inconsistencies, which may result from the study site, research design, socio-demographically diverse samples, inclusivity considerations, and the different metrics used to quantify GS exposure and mental health benefits. Few conceptual models explain how neighbourhood greenery can act as a structural intervention. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method and retrieved 5559 documents from eight databases to examine whether neighbourhood GS can modify mental health associations in disadvantaged groups. We found that neighbourhood GS had substantial protective effects on the mental health of disadvantaged groups. However, disadvantaged people are more influenced by GS quality than by other GS exposures, such as GS usage, distance, and accessibility. Improvements in subjective well-being were most pronounced in terms of mental health outcomes. Mechanistically, neighbourhood GS improves mental health mainly through increased social cohesion and, green visibility, and young people receive further benefits from physical activity (PA). These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the associations and mechanisms between neighbourhood GS and the mental health of disadvantaged groups, addressing health equities that are induced by the unfair distribution of GS, and thus promoting health-oriented environmental planning and policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:42:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f5ca5febc05343ffb2366dd04797d157 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2662-9992 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:42:05Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-f5ca5febc05343ffb2366dd04797d1572024-04-07T11:12:08ZengSpringer NatureHumanities & Social Sciences Communications2662-99922024-04-0111111910.1057/s41599-024-02970-1The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic reviewZheng Xian0Tomoki Nakaya1Kun Liu2Bing Zhao3Junhua Zhang4Jiao Zhang5Yuxuan Lin6Jinguang Zhang7College of Arts, Shandong Agricultural UniversityGraduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku UniversityCollege of Arts, Shandong Agricultural UniversityCollege of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry UniversityGraduate school of Horticulture, Chiba UniversityGraduate school of Horticulture, Chiba UniversityGraduate school of Horticulture, Chiba UniversityCollege of Landscape Architecture, Nanjing Forestry UniversityAbstract Mental disorders affect many different groups around the world, and disadvantaged groups are often more severely affected. Neighbourhood green spaces (GS) can improve mental health, especially in disadvantaged groups. Many countries address social inequality and inequity through GS interventions. However, current evidence shows inconsistencies, which may result from the study site, research design, socio-demographically diverse samples, inclusivity considerations, and the different metrics used to quantify GS exposure and mental health benefits. Few conceptual models explain how neighbourhood greenery can act as a structural intervention. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method and retrieved 5559 documents from eight databases to examine whether neighbourhood GS can modify mental health associations in disadvantaged groups. We found that neighbourhood GS had substantial protective effects on the mental health of disadvantaged groups. However, disadvantaged people are more influenced by GS quality than by other GS exposures, such as GS usage, distance, and accessibility. Improvements in subjective well-being were most pronounced in terms of mental health outcomes. Mechanistically, neighbourhood GS improves mental health mainly through increased social cohesion and, green visibility, and young people receive further benefits from physical activity (PA). These findings offer a comprehensive understanding of the associations and mechanisms between neighbourhood GS and the mental health of disadvantaged groups, addressing health equities that are induced by the unfair distribution of GS, and thus promoting health-oriented environmental planning and policies.https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02970-1 |
| spellingShingle | Zheng Xian Tomoki Nakaya Kun Liu Bing Zhao Junhua Zhang Jiao Zhang Yuxuan Lin Jinguang Zhang The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review Humanities & Social Sciences Communications |
| title | The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review |
| title_full | The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review |
| title_short | The effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups: a systematic review |
| title_sort | effects of neighbourhood green spaces on mental health of disadvantaged groups a systematic review |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-02970-1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhengxian theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT tomokinakaya theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT kunliu theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT bingzhao theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT junhuazhang theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT jiaozhang theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT yuxuanlin theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT jinguangzhang theeffectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT zhengxian effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT tomokinakaya effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT kunliu effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT bingzhao effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT junhuazhang effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT jiaozhang effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT yuxuanlin effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview AT jinguangzhang effectsofneighbourhoodgreenspacesonmentalhealthofdisadvantagedgroupsasystematicreview |