close
Friday March 29, 2024

National parks a boost to mental health worth trillions

By AFP
November 14, 2019

PARIS: Spending time outdoors is long understood to offer mental health perks, including reduced stress, improved sleep and enhanced cognition. But these public spaces might also benefit the global economy, new research suggests. Visits to national parks around the world may result in improved mental health valued at about $US6 trillion (5.4 trillion euros), according to a team of ecologists, psychologists and economists from Griffith University in Australia. “People already visit parks to recover from stress,” said lead author Ralf Buckley in a press release.