Green space and mental well-being research in India: An urgent need for intervention

Title

Green space and mental well-being research in India: An urgent need for intervention

Creator

Banerjee B.; Basu S.; Kumar L.

Description

In recent years, numerous studies have highlighted the positive impact of green spaces on mental health and overall well-being. However, a closer examination reveals a skewed green space research contribution, with developed countries taking the lead. Despite substantial burden of mental health issues, there is a noticeable dearth of green space research within India's academic landscape. In the current paper, we address this gap through a brief review that positions the scope of green space psychology (GSP) in India. We conducted the literature review using a machine learning tool called Crawling Scholar. Our review comprised 325 studies, focusing on five key parameters: the year of publication, geographical context, research design, psychological variables examined, and study population. Our findings indicate a significant body of global research on GSP, while the contribution from Indian scholarship remains negligible. Based on this discrepancy, we propose that incorporating GSP as an intervention and preventive measure could play a crucial role in addressing India's mental health challenges. By integrating traditional practices with the emerging field of GSP, we can harness the potential of green spaces to promote mental well-being. Our findings further underscore the importance of expanding research on GSP within the Indian context and emphasize the need for further investigations into its efficiency. By shedding light on the current status of GSP research in India, we aim to raise awareness among researchers, policymakers, and mental health professionals, fostering a collaborative effort to leverage the benefits of green spaces for the betterment of mental health infrastructure in India. 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved including those for text and data mining AI training and similar technologies.

Source

Impact of Climate Change on Social and Mental Well-Being, pp. 147-201.

Date

2024-01-01

Publisher

Elsevier

Subject

Global burden of disease; Green space psychology; India; Mental health; Mental health promotion

Coverage

Banerjee B., Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Goa, India; Basu S., Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Goa, India, Department of Psychology, CHRIST University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, India; Kumar L., Department of Computer Sciences and Information Systems, BITS Pilani KK Birla Goa Campus, Goa, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISBN: 978-044323788-1; 978-044323789-8

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-23788-1.00010-5

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85205157764&doi=10.1016%2fB978-0-443-23788-1.00010-5&partnerID=40&md5=0711a2581888257ee1ce368ada5bb774