Woodlands in urban areas linked to reduced antidepressant use
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Improving and maintaining woodlands in deprived communities is linked to reduced antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication use, research suggests.
People living in deprived communities are less likely to use medication for depression and anxiety if they have easy access to well-maintained woodlands, the study found.
Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow analyzed data from more than 129,000 people over five years. The study is published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
The study is one of the largest analyses of its kind, assessing how investments in local woodlands in and around towns in Scotland affect people's mental health.
Tracking access and prescriptions
The researchers used NHS prescription records and census data to see whether people living within a 10-minute walk of an improved woodland area were more or less likely to be taking medication for depression or anxiety.
Woodland improvements had been supported through Scottish Forestry's Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) initiative. These include practical improvements such as new footpaths, better signage and community events.
The initiative prioritized areas that were more socially and financially disadvantaged, where woodlands required improved management to reduce barriers and enable more local people to use and enjoy them.
Clearer gains for nearby residents
People living in urban deprived communities close to a woodland area that had been made more welcoming and easier to use were 10% less likely to be prescribed antidepressants and 6% less likely to be prescribed anti-anxiety medication than those living farther away.
This was the case even when accounting for other factors linked to mental health outcomes, such as demographics and poverty.
The benefit of living near these woodlands showed up for the same people even when their proximity to the woodlands changed. For example, when someone moved closer to an improved woodland, their need for medication went down.
By tracking the same individuals over time, the researchers say they can be more confident that the woodland improvements made the difference, rather than simply healthier or wealthier people happening to live in greener areas.
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson of the OPENspace Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh's College of Art, who led the study, said, "The research provides stronger evidence on the mental health benefits of woodland improvements for local communities than was possible in earlier studies. It also shows that these benefits may contribute to reducing inequalities in health across the population."
Dr. Scott Ogletree of the OPENspace Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh's College of Art, who undertook the analysis, said, "For the first time, we have an opportunity to link data on mental health services with a long-term national urban forestry intervention program to offer the kind of evidence required to inform future forestry policy.
"Our results tell us that relatively modest investments in local green spaces can make a real difference to people's mental health. Nature-focused initiatives like WIAT can be a valuable tool to complement ongoing efforts to improve well-being and mental health."
A case for public health planning
Around one in eight people globally live with a mental health condition, and those in poorer communities tend to be hit hardest. At the same time, these are often the communities with the least access to good-quality parks, woodlands and green spaces.
The researchers say their findings make a case for integrating nature-based interventions into public health strategies, particularly in urban areas where green space can be limited and poorly maintained in certain neighborhoods.
The research team has worked with experts from Scottish Forestry and Forest Research for more than 20 years to gather evidence on the social and health benefits local woodlands can offer communities, pioneering work on this topic in Europe.
Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie said, "This groundbreaking study provides further compelling evidence of the benefits that local woodlands deliver for people and communities. The association between investment in woods in and around Scotland's towns and cities and lower prescription use for depression and anxiety highlights the importance of continuing to expand, manage and improve these valuable green spaces.
"The Scottish Government is committed to increasing woodland creation across Scotland, with a target of 18,000 hectares (44,500 acres) per year by 2029/30. We are also committed to increasing tree planting in urban areas to improve air quality, support biodiversity and enhance quality of life for communities across the country."
The research used census data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study, which tracks the lives and health of thousands of people in Scotland to help researchers understand what affects people's well-being.
Publication details
Scott Ogletree et al, Investigating the relationship between urban woodland improvements and mental health in Scotland: a natural experiment using linked longitudinal national administrative datasets, The Lancet Planetary Health (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.lanplh.2026.101503
Journal information: The Lancet Planetary Health
Clinical categories
Psychology & Mental healthPsychiatryPreventive medicineHealthy living Provided by University of Edinburgh Who's behind this story?
Gaby Clark
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