Leafy streets save the NHS ‘millions’

PEOPLE are less likely to be on antidepressants if they live on a tree-lined street, research has found, as the Forestry Commission claims the UK saves £185million a year because of woodland.

The first analysis of the mental health value of the UK’S forests and woods found that they saved the NHS millions in antidepressants.

The UK is behind its tree planting targets, figures show, with the head of the Forestry Commission admitting that the Government’s aim to treble rates by the end of this Parliament is “really challenging”.

The report found that urban trees saved £16million a year because of “avoided antidepressant costs”.

Over the next century the mental health benefits of visits to woodlands are estimated at £11billion, with a further £1 billion for the mental health benefits of street trees.

A study of Londoners by the University of Exeter and the University of Trnava in Slovakia found that there was a fall of 1.18 antidepressant prescriptions per 1,000 people for every extra tree per kilometre of street.

Studies carried out in Germany and the Netherlands came to similar conclusions.

The Forestry Commission report found that measured change in antidepressant use could also be down to other factors such as population density, less vandalism and less traffic.

Sir William Worsley, chair of the Forestry Commission, said that more woodlands needed to be within reach of where people live.

The Government plans to plant 30,000 hectares of trees in the UK each year from 2025. Figures show that 13,400 hectares of woodland were planted over the past year.

Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind, the mental health charity, said: “Being outside in natural light can also be helpful if you experience seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that affects people during particular seasons or times of year.”

“Although many of us feel like hibernating in winter, getting outside in green spaces and making the most of the little daylight we get can really benefit both your physical and mental health.”