Does living near green space help soothe early childhood anxiety and depression?

By Tarun Sai LomteApr 12 2024Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc. In a recent study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined associations between residential green space and externalizing and internalizing symptoms.

Study: Green Space and Internalizing or Externalizing Symptoms Among Children. Image Credit: Elizaveta Galitckaia / Shutterstock The mean NDVI values were calculated in buffers of 270 meters , 510 m, and 1230 m around the home addresses. The child behavior checklist for ages 1.5–5 or 6–18 assessed internalizing symptoms, such as anxiety, withdrawal, somatic concerns, and depression, and externalizing symptoms, like rule-breaking and aggression. The socioeconomic status theme of the social vulnerability index was used to evaluate neighborhood SES vulnerability.

Related StoriesOver 42% of children lived in neighborhoods with high SES vulnerability. The researchers observed a negative correlation between green space and externalizing or internalizing symptoms in early childhood. Further, a 0.1 unit increase in NDVI at 270 m was associated with 0.77- and 1.28-unit lower externalizing and internalizing T-scores in early childhood, respectively, adjusted for child sex, preterm status, parental education, and age at delivery.

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