Green-Blue Resilience to crisis: The significance of green-blue space use and access for mental health when facing the societal and individual level stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic

Restrictions and societal changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic affect individuals´ situation on several levels, including working- and private life, risking to increase mental health problems in the population, especially in more affected and vulnerable groups.Poor mental health (incl depression, anxiety, stress/exhaustion) conferred major public health concerns with vast individual and societal costs even before the crisis.Knowledge about modifiable factors that can reduce mental illness and buffer against stressors during a crisis—while contribute to increased environmental sustainability—is thus central to strenghtening sustainability and resilience to future crises.Previous studies show that exposure and access to natural environments (incl green/blue spaces) can improve mood, cognitive performance, reduce stress, improve mental health, and facilitate physical and social activity and cohesion—which are central to health.

During the current pandemic, when opportunities for socializing, physical activities etc outside the home have been limited—while stressors may have increased—outdoor spaces may have become even more important for individuals´ mental health and well-being.The purpose of the project is thus to carefully investigate the importance of use, exposure, and access to natural spaces for mental health during the covid-19 crisis, as well as for buffering stressors in work- and private life, in a longitudinal Swedish population cohort with high-quality data.