In 2016, more than 16 million adults in the United States suffered from at least one major depressive episode—an alarming statistic, to say the least. Depression is also costly to society, affecting our health care system, workplace productivity, and individual and family welfare.
While depression is often treated at an individual level, less is known about wider initiatives that might impact whole communities. But a new study has now uncovered at least one initiative that holds promise: “greening” neighborhood lots.
In this study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a citywide experiment was conducted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Over 540 blighted vacant lots were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: “greening” that involved removing trash, planting new grass and some trees, installing a low wooden fence, and monthly maintenance; “trash cleanup” that involved removing trash, limited grass mowing, and monthly maintenance, but no plantings or fence; or no treatment.
[For more on this story by JILL SUTTIE, go to https://greatergood.berkeley.e...eds_more_green_space]
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