When Schools Give Kids Time in Nature, Anxiety and Behavior Issues Ease

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by HealthDay.

A dose of green may be just what school kids with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues need, new research shows.

Canadian investigators found that a school program that let 10- to 12-year-olds spend a little time each week in nature paid dividends in improving kids’ mental well-being.

“Nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits for children with higher levels of mental health vulnerabilities and potentially act as an equalizer of mental health among school-age children,” said study co-author Sylvana Côté, a professor of public health at the University of Montréal.

Her team published its findings in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The new study included about a thousand Quebec kids in grades 5 and 6, enrolled in schools throughout the province. All of the schools were located within a mile of a park or green space, and the study took place in springtime.

Over the three months of the study, kids were randomly selected to either stay in school per usual throughout the week or to spend two hours per week with teachers in a park or green space.

Schoolwork was done in either environment: Even when outdoors, kids were taking part in regular classes in subjects such as math, languages or science.

The main finding: Kids enrolled in the green space intervention saw noticeable improvements in mental health.

According to a university news release, “teachers noted that the biggest changes in behavior occurred in children with the most significant problems at the outset, including anxiety and depression, aggressivity and impulsivity, or social problems relating to interaction with their peers.”

Teachers said kids who had mental health issues appeared calmer, less anxious and more attentive in class after getting back from a visit with nature.

Source: HealthDay
https://www.healthday.com/health-news/child-health/when-schools-give-kids-time-in-nature-anxiety-and-behavior-issues-ease