If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a natural high... daily dose of nature does your mental health a world of good

Published: 17:55, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 17:57, 24 August 2026 Doctors are already prescribing a daily dose of nature to enhance patients’ mental wellbeing. But now Scottish scientists have proved for the first time that access to forests, especially in deprived urban areas, genuinely reduces the need for antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. The study, one of the largest of its kind, assessed how investments in woodlands in and around towns improve mental health. Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow analysed data from more than 129,000 people over five years. They used NHS prescription records and census data and discovered that those living within a ten-minute walk of an improved woodland area were less likely to pop pills for their mental health. The team behind the study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, said that by tracking the same individuals over time it became clear there is a connection between woodland improvements and the reduced need for medication. People living in deprived urban communities that were close to a woodland area 10 per cent less likely to be prescribed antidepressants People living in deprived urban communities that were close to a woodland area that had been made more welcoming and easier for people to use were 10 per cent less likely to be prescribed antidepressants, and 6 per cent less likely to be prescribed anti-anxiety medication, than those living further away. This was the case even when accounting for other factors linked to mental health outcomes, such as demographics and poverty. And the researchers now say their findings could lead to a decrease in health inequalities. Professor Catharine Ward Thompson of the OPENspace Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh’s College of Art, who led the study, said: ‘The research provides stronger evidence on the mental health benefits of woodland improvements for local communities than was possible in earlier studies. ‘It also shows that these benefits may contribute to reducing inequalities in health.’ Her colleague Dr Scott Ogletree said: ‘For the first time, we have an opportunity to link data on mental health services with a long-term national urban forestry intervention programme to offer the kind of evidence required to inform future forestry policy.  Our results tell us that relatively modest investments in local green spaces can make a real difference to people’s mental health.’ Dr Ogletree said ‘nature-focused initiatives’ such as Scottish Forestry’s Woods In and Around Towns ‘can be a valuable tool to complement ongoing efforts to improve wellbeing and mental health.’  The researchers are now calling for the findings to be used to make a case for integrating nature-based intervention into public health strategies, especially in urban areas. Minister for Agriculture, Marine and the Islands Jim Fairlie said the study ‘highlights the importance of continuing to expand, manage and improve these valuable green spaces’, adding: ‘The Scottish Government is committed to increasing woodland creation across Scotland, with a target of 18,000 hectares per year by 2029/30.’