Lack of Free Time Outdoors Threatens Kids' Mental Health

Children who don't play outdoors face heightened long-term mental health risks, says a new report from Natural England, a British environmental group, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The report says that the countryside -- and even parks and gardens -- have definite therapeutic benefits, and can improve concentration and lower stress.

"If children haven't had contact with nature, they never develop a relationship with the natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress," he said.

"Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Children are getting less and less unsupervised time in the natural environment.

The report also mentions studies I've heard referenced before, in which patients recovered better from surgery when given hospital rooms with outdoor views, and children were less likely to misbehave when given a playground with grass, ponds and trees.

Related Wired coverage here and here.

How children lost the right to roam in four generations [Daily Mail]
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Image: Esparta Palma*