Home > Articles > Published articles > Exposure to nature and mental health outcomes during COVID-19 lockdown. A comparison between Portugal and Spain |
Date: | 2021 |
Abstract: | Background: To control the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, countries around the world implemented lockdowns with varying intensities. Lockdowns, however, have been associated with a deterioration of mental health, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, anger and anxiety. Exposure to nature might reduce stress and provide relaxation opportunities. Objective: Firstly, we aimed to determine which sociodemographic, housing and lockdown-related characteristics were associated with changes in exposure to nature during the COVID-19 lockdown in Portugal and Spain. Secondly, we sought to estimate the associations of these changes with mental health, and test whether these associations differed according to sociodemographic characteristics and between the two countries, which experienced different restrictions and epidemiological situations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March 27 and May 6, 2020, using an online questionnaire to measure changes in exposure to nature (including private green space and other greenery, views of nature from home and public natural spaces); sociodemographic, housing and lockdown-related characteristics; stress levels (visual stress scale); psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire incorporated into urban planning interventions and housing design and exposure to nature should be promoted during lockdowns. |
Grants: | European Commission 678034 European Commission 730243 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad FJCI-2017-33842 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad IJC2018-035322-I |
Note: | Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-M |
Rights: | Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades. |
Language: | Anglès |
Document: | Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada |
Subject: | Green space ; Nature ; Confinement ; Pandemic ; Mental health ; SARS-CoV-2 |
Published in: | Environment International, Vol. 154 (September 2021) , art. 106664, ISSN 1873-6750 |
12 p, 971.9 KB |