Does nature make us happier? A spatial error model of greenspace types and mental wellbeing

Houlden, V., Porto de Albuquerque, J. , Weich, S. and Jarvis, S. (2021) Does nature make us happier? A spatial error model of greenspace types and mental wellbeing. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 48(4), pp. 655-670. (doi: 10.1177/2399808319887395)

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Abstract

Exposure to nature is thought to benefit mental health and wellbeing. However, many studies consider greenspace as a single entity, which overlooks the potential significance of the various forms of greenspace, and natural greenspaces in particular. This study was designed to investigate the association between different types of greenspace and mental wellbeing. Drawing wellbeing and socioeconomic data from the Annual Population Survey (2012–2015), and shapefiles from the Greenspace Information for Greater London group, the amount of greenspace accessible within a 300 m walk of individual’s postcodes was calculated, and categorised according to type. Spatial Error Models were used to account for spatial patterns in the data. Natural greenspace was significantly associated with improved life satisfaction (B = 0.028, p < 0.001) and happiness (B = 0.023, p = 0.019) scores. The spatial autoregressive parameter (λ) was small but significant (p < 0.001), implying slight second-order spatial variation in the model. These results imply that natural areas may be more important for hedonic mental wellbeing than other greenspaces. Future research is needed on exploring causal relationships between exposure to greenspace and mental wellbeing outcomes.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:Victoria Houlden is supported through a Centre for Doctoral Training by a UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant. Grant number: EP/LO16400/1.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Porto de Albuquerque, Professor Joao
Authors: Houlden, V., Porto de Albuquerque, J., Weich, S., and Jarvis, S.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science
Publisher:SAGE Publications
ISSN:2399-8083
ISSN (Online):2399-8091
Published Online:01 November 2019
Copyright Holders:Copyright © The Author(s) 2019
First Published:First published in Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 48(4):655-670
Publisher Policy:Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

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