{"id":27356,"date":"2020-11-10T07:08:34","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T07:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/?p=27356"},"modified":"2020-11-10T07:08:34","modified_gmt":"2020-11-10T07:08:34","slug":"green-prescriptions-may-backfire-for-some","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bengalnewstimes.com\/?p=27356","title":{"rendered":"‘Green Prescriptions’ May Backfire for Some"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Latest Mental Health News<\/h3>\n

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\"News<\/p>\n

MONDAY, Nov. 9, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n

So-called “green prescriptions” may end up being counterproductive for people with mental health<\/a> conditions, researchers say.<\/p>\n

Spending time in nature is believed to benefit mental health<\/a>, so some doctors are beginning to “prescribe” outdoor time for their patients.<\/p>\n

That led researchers to investigate whether being in nature helps actually does help people with issues such as anxiety<\/a> and depression<\/a>. They collected data from more than 18,000 people in 18 countries.<\/p>\n

The takeaway: Time in nature does provide several benefits for people with mental health conditions, but only if they choose on their own to visit green spaces.<\/p>\n

While being advised to spend time outdoors can encourage such activity, it can also undermine the potential emotional benefits, according to the authors of the study published Nov. 6 in the journal Scientific Reports<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The researchers said they were surprised to find that people with depression<\/a> were spending time in nature as often as folks with no mental health issues, and that people with anxiety<\/a> were doing so much more often.<\/p>\n

While in nature, those with depression<\/a> and anxiety<\/a> tended to feel happy and reported low anxiety<\/a>. But those benefits appeared to be undermined when the visits were done at others’ urging, the investigators found.<\/p>\n

The more external pressure people with depression<\/a> and anxiety<\/a> felt to visit nature, the less motivated they were to do so and the more anxious they felt.<\/p>\n

“These findings are consistent with wider research that suggests that urban natural environments provide spaces for people to relax and recover from stress<\/a>,” said study leader Michelle Tester-Jones, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

But the findings also show that health care practitioners and loved ones should be sensitive about recommending time in nature for people who have mental health issues.<\/p>\n

“It could be helpful to encourage them to spend more time in places that people already enjoy visiting, so they feel comfortable and can make the most of the experience,” Tester-Jones said in a university news release.<\/p>\n

More information<\/strong><\/p>\n

For more on the benefits of green spaces, go to the National Recreation and Park Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SOURCE: University of Exeter, news release, Nov. 6, 2020<\/p>\n

Steven Reinberg<\/p>\n

\"MedicalNews\"
Copyright \u00a9 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n


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