Hi everyone this is savvy psychologist I'm Dr Ellen Hendrickson and every week I'll help

you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Okay, we already know eating your greens is vital for good health, but immersing yourself in green space might be just as important.

Whether it's a remote mountaintop or an urban oasis, green space is

emerging as a powerful force for good mental health. Exposure to green space can

help alleviate depression, ADHD, Alzheimer's and more.

And one particularly astounding study found that Green Space is nothing less than a superhero.

It actually fights crime. So here is how that worked.

541 vacant lots in Philadelphia were randomly assigned to one of three conditions.

In the first, they were, quote, cleaned and greened, meaning trash was removed, grass and

trees were planted, and the improvements were maintained over time. In the second condition

lots were cleaned on a regular basis but no greenery was planted and in the third

condition the lots were left untouched.

Near the cleaned and green lots, crime decreased by 13%,

including a decrease in gun violence of almost 30%.

And that is a number that should grab any civic leader by the lapels.

Okay, so why is green space so powerful? What is it about going over the river and through the

woods that helps us clear our heads? And how on earth does it have the power to reduce crime

and violence? This week we'll look at a few possibilities

plus think about how to apply the answer to our own lives. So okay here we go let's

figure this out. So first is green space just a stand-in for exercise. All right, well maybe

green space makes everybody feel better because it promotes physical activity.

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