Londoners Living Near Street Trees Get Prescribed Fewer Antidepressants

By now you're probably familiar with at least some of the many psychological benefits of urban greenery. Parks, trees, and other forms of nature evidently possess the power to refresh tired minds and improve moods; they've also been associated with better mental health more broadly. This robust line of evidence suggests that city trees serve as leafy happiness ninjas, defending our brains against the stressors of urban life.

All of which is necessary background to make the findings of a new report in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning more palatable: Londoners who live near more street trees get prescribed fewer antidepressants. The largely U.K.-based research team—which includes some of the field's leading scholars—report that this association held true even when controlling for other local variables like socioeconomic status. They conclude (san citations):