Green space and suicide mortality in Japan

An ecological study

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4602848
AutoresWenhao Jiang (0000-0002-4457-6496, New York University), Andrew Stickley (0000-0002-1260-2223, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry), Minoru Ueda (0000-0001-6552-8090, Waseda University, autor de correspondencia), Michiko Ueda
Año2021
Volumen282
Páginas114137
Fecha de publicación2021-08-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSocial Science & Medicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0277-9536 • E-ISSN: 1873-5347
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114137
PMID34175573
OpenAlexW3171838148
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas18
Referencias citadas57

Although numerous studies have investigated the effect of green space on mental health, as yet, little is known about the association between green space and suicide. To address this deficit, we conducted the first Japan-wide study of the relationship between green space and suicide mortality. Results from spatial analyses of municipality-level panel data for the 1975-2014 period that included 886,440 suicide deaths with a fixed-effect estimator showed that green space was associated with suicide mortality, and that this relationship was conditioned by the form of greenness, level of urbanity and demographic characteristics. In densely populated cities, park density (parks per 1000 of the population) was associated with reduced suicide mortality among females aged 18 and above and among males aged 18 to 39 and aged 65 and above. In small- and medium-sized cities, park coverage (% by area) was linked to fewer suicide deaths among middle-aged and older females (aged 40 and above). In contrast, in non-cities (rural areas), parks were not associated with suicide mortality whereas woodland coverage (% by area) was linked to reduced suicide deaths among middle-aged and older males (aged 40 and above). Our findings suggest that urban green space and rural forest coverage may have a protective effect against self-harming behavior. Future suicide prevention efforts should consider an increased greening of the residential environment in terms of both availability and accessibility, especially with better designs that accommodate population needs and local conditions

Ecological study · Environmental health · Geography · Injury prevention · Mental health · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Population · Psychiatry · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Urbanity · Demography · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Medicine · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability · Urban Green Space and Health · Gerontology