Urban green space use during a time of stress: A case study during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brisbane, Australia.

ABSTRACT: Spending time in nature is one potential way to cope with the negative physical and psychological health impacts from major stressful life events. In 2020, a large fraction of the global population was impacted by restrictions to contain the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, a period characterised by marked health risks and behavioural changes. Here we explore whether people responded to this stressor by spending more time in nature and investigate the reasons for any changes.We surveyed 1,002 people in Brisbane, Australia in 2020, to measure the change in use of green space during the restrictions period and benefits people associated with visiting them.About 36% of participants increased their urban green space use, but 26% reduced it, indicating a great deal of flux. Furthermore, 45% of

SUBMITTER: Berdejo-Espinola V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8207087 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature