Scott Ogletree from the University of Edinburgh analyzed data from a natural experiment and established a link between increased quality and accessibility of urban parks and reduced use of antidepressants and anxiolytics among local residents.
The study utilized sociodemographic information on nearly 130,000 adults collected during a longitudinal study of SLS from 2012 to 2016. This data was compared with participants' residential locations, prescriptions for psychotropic medications, and geospatial data provided by the Scottish Forestry Service.
The Scottish Forestry Service provided details on urban parks whose quality and accessibility were enhanced during the specified period as part of the WIAT program. Mixed-effects models were used to analyze the data. The results of this study were published in the scientific journal The Lancet Planetary Health.