Going with the flow helps boost your mood
THE results of a real time study, the first of its type, carried out by King’s College London, Nomad Projects and J & L Gibbons in partnership with the Canal & River Trust, shows that spending time by canals and rivers is linked to feeling happy and healthy.
Researchers report that the combination of blue and green space with wildlife has a greater impact on well-being than spending time in an environment that is characterised by only green space.
The researchers used Urban Mind, a smartphone-based app, to collect thousands of real time audits about participants’ location and mental well-being.
Results showed positive associations between visits to canals and rivers and mental well-being, as well as a positive experience for feelings of safety and social inclusion relative to all other types of environments (such as indoors, or outside in an urban environment, or near green spaces).
Andrea Mechelli, professor of early intervention in mental health, King’s College London, commented: “Canals and rivers contain not only water but also an abundance of trees and plants, which means their capacity to improve mental well-being is likely to be due to the multiple benefits associated with both green and blue spaces. Canals and rivers also provide homes to a range of wildlife, and we know from other research that there is a positive association between encountering wildlife and mental well-being.
“Taken collectively, these findings provide an evidence base for what we thought about water and well-being and support the proposal that visits to canals and rivers could become part of social prescribing schemes, playing a role in supporting mental health.”
The study found that visiting canals and rivers was associated with a greater improvement in mental well-being and this relationship was still present when accounting for individual variation due to age, gender, education, ethnicity, and a diagnosis of a mental health condition. People also reported continued improvements in their mental well-being for up to 24 hours after the visit had taken place.
Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, responded: “Once the arteries of the Industrial Revolution, canals are today playing an equally important role in society as green corridors that bring nature into cities, improving community well-being and tackling health inequalities, as well as supporting jobs and local economies.
“The powerful mix of blue, green and wildlife-rich space shows that although initially built for industry, repurposed canals are today among our most important places for health and well-being in our towns and cities.
Dr Amir Khan, Canal & River Trust ambassador, stated: “As a GP and nature lover, it’s great to see that scientific studies have confirmed what many of us intuitively knew: that spending time by water, and canals in particular, is good for your well-being.
“An astonishing nine million people live within 1km of a canal and whether you’re looking for a free alternative to the gym, a car-free commute to work or the shops, or perhaps just somewhere to hang out with family or friends, I really do urge everyone to find their #HappyPlaceByWater.”