Researck pick: Parklife’s mental health benefits come into focus - "Study on the influence of residents’ well-being on the use of urban parks and emotional recovery under air pollution environment"

With urbanization on the increase, a study focusing on Xigu Park in Tian Jin, China, explores the potential of urban parks to slow the rise of mental health problems faced by many city dwellers. Ultimately, a better understanding of the positive impact of city parks could help in urban planning and design, which could be crucial for the well-being of the urban population as our cities become increasingly dense.

The research, published in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution, is based on a survey of 226 park users. It used correlation analysis and multiple correspondence analysis to uncover the connections between park activities, environmental perception, and emotional recovery, particularly emphasizing their impact on a person’s life happiness.

Xuan Li, Dan Xie, Xin Zhang, Guoying Hou of HeBei University of Technology in Tian Jin found that engaging in park activities can alleviate stress and amplify positive emotions. This, they suggest, contributes to an enhanced sense of life satisfaction. The team points out that individuals with higher happiness levels seem more aware of their environment and this creates a cycle of positive reinforcement as increased happiness fosters greater interest in park activities, which leads to a more relaxed atmosphere and improved emotional recovery and so on.

The team also looked at the influence of residents’ well-being on park activities, environmental perception, and emotional recovery. By analyzing activity types, regional preferences, and environmental perception among residents, the research also showed that prolonged park stays correlated with greater happiness.

Life well-being emerges as a crucial factor affecting emotional recovery in park activities, with distinct effects in groups with high and low life satisfaction. Successful fellows with high life happiness are more likely to experience positive emotions, while individuals with lower life happiness not only struggle to experience positive emotions but also exhibit physical symptoms arising from anxiety and other mental health issues.

The team points out that additional work will be needed to examine the phenomenon further. It will be important to understand how respondents who reported above-average life happiness levels fit into the bigger picture. They suggest that future research could use more advanced techniques incuding computer simulations and physiological sensor measurements to more precisely quantify environmental characteristics, human perceptions, and emotional recovery effects.

Li, X., Xie, D., Zhang, X. and Hou, G. (2023) ‘Study on the influence of residents’ well-being on the use of urban parks and emotional recovery under air pollution environment‘, Int. J. Environment and Pollution, Vol. 72, No. 1, pp.70-85.