When Schools Give Kids Time in Nature, Anxiety and Behavior Issues Ease [Video]

Key Takeaways

A program that allowed schoolkids to take their classes outdoors in nature for two hours per week paid off in mental health benefitsThe intervention helped ease anxiety, depression and behavioral issuesThe findings could inspire schools everywhere to incorporate the great outdoors into their curriculums

MONDAY, Nov. 18, 2924 (HealthDay News) — A dose of green may be just what school kids with anxiety, depression and other mental health issues need, new research shows.

Canadian investigators found that a school program that let 10- to 12-year-olds spend a little time each week in nature paid dividends in improving kids’ mental well-being.

“Nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits for children with higher levels of mental health vulnerabilities and potentially act as an equalizer of mental health among school-age children,” said study co-author Sylvana Côté, a professor of public health at the University of Montréal.

Her team published its findings Nov. 15 in the …