Why are urban areas with fewer green spaces seeing higher rates of depression?

Walking through a densely urbanized city with tall skyscrapers and minimal green cover can be very stressful and overwhelming. Research suggests that lack of natural grounds in cities may be one among several reasons for residents having high levels of depression. Green space offers a place for relaxation, exercise, and socialization, all of which are beneficial for mental health. In contrast, low nature exposure areas had significantly higher rates of reported mental health issues, particularly depression.

Urban areas with fewer green spaces tend to have a lack of natural stress relief, limited opportunities for physical activity, social isolation, noise and air pollution and visual and environmental fatigue. For example, city residents in neighborhoods with less than 10% of green cover experienced symptoms of anxiety and depression more than those living in neighborhoods with high green cover. City regions with more green spaces, like Copenhagen, will generally have lower depression rates, while industrially developed concrete cities will suffer from the opposite. These findings support the idea that access to open space in the city may be playing a key role in protection against severe  mental health issues such as depression.