Greening the city to prevent mental illness

Children who grow up surrounded by trees, grass and green space have a lower risk of developing a mental illness later in life, according to Danish researchers.

Their findings, involving almost one million Danes, were more than an interesting correlation: the risk of mental health problems varied directly with the amount of green space available to the child. As more people move into cities and mental health diagnoses appear to be rising, the findings could have relevance for urban planning.