Study Reveals the Beneficial Nature of Greenspace Exposure for Brain Development in Early Adolescence

Researchers have found that greenspace exposure is associated with widespread patterns of structural brain development during early adolescence, which in turn are associated with better academic and mental outcomes. The findings of the study opens in new tab/window in Biological Psychiatry opens in new tab/window, published by Elsevier, emphasize the need to integrate natural environments into urban and educational settings and provide key insights for policymakers, parents, and educators to support adolescent well-being.

Previous research has shown that exposure to green spaces positively influences mental health and cognition. However, there is limited understanding of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of brain development and its potential role in supporting mental well-being in children.

This is the first study to examine the influence of greenspace exposure on structural neurodevelopmental trajectories and which tests whether these trajectories mediate the relationship between greenspace exposure and positive academic or mental health outcomes.

John Krystal, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry, comments, "We tend to focus on the detrimental effects and negative aspects of our environment. It is equally important to highlight exposure to green spaces and other positive environments and their contributions to human thriving and resilience."

Investigators analyzed data from more than 7,000 ethnically diverse adolescents in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study from 21 sites across the United States to test the relationship between greenspace exposure at age 9-10 and brain structure two years later as well as change over time. Additionally, they tested whether brain structural development statistically mediated the associations of greenspace exposure with mental health and academic performance.

Co-lead investigator Qingyang Li, MSc, Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King’s College London, explains, "We found greenspace exposure to be associated with brain structural changes at both whole-brain and regional-brain levels. We also found an indirect effect of greenspace exposure on better academic and mental outcomes through both total and regional cortical structure independent of household and neighborhood disadvantage."

They found that greenspace exposure was associated with greater total surface area (SA) and cortical volume (CV), greater cortical thickness (CT) in temporal regions and the insula, lower thickness in the caudal middle frontal and superior frontal gyri, greater SA across several regions, and greater volume of the caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens. In analyses studying change in brain structure over time, higher greenspace exposure was associated with greater growth of total SA, lower average thickness reduction, and reduced total CV growth as well as changes at the regional level.

Adolescence is typified by rapid structural brain development and heightened susceptibility to environmental influences. By 2050, approximately 68% of the global population is expected to reside in cities. Rapid urbanization reduces opportunities for individuals to interact with natural environments and green space.

Co-lead investigator Divyangana Rakesh, PhD, Neuroimaging Department, Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry & Neuroscience, King’s College London, concludes, "Children’s and adolescents’ mental health issues have become a global concern. At the same time, urbanization is rapidly changing the environment and often reducing access to green spaces. This study offers insights for policymakers on how urban planning can help address the growing mental health challenges faced by children and highlights the importance of integrating green spaces into school settings and urban environments."

Notes for editors

The article is "Longitudinal Associations Between Greenspace Exposure, Structural Brain Development, and Mental Health and Academic Performance During Early Adolescence,” by Qingyang Li, Sarah Whittle, and Divyangana Rakesh (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.026 opens in new tab/window). It appears online in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier.

The article is openly available at https://www.biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-3223(25)01120-5/fulltext opens in new tab/window.

Copies of the full text and additional information are also available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Rhiannon Bugno at [email protected] opens in new tab/window. Journalists wishing to interview the authors should contact Divyangana Rakesh, PhD, at [email protected] opens in new tab/window.

The authors’ affiliations and disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available in the article.

John H. Krystal, MD, is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a research psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. His disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available here opens in new tab/window.

About Biological Psychiatry

Biological Psychiatry opens in new tab/window is the official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry opens in new tab/window, whose purpose is to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms, and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior. In accord with this mission, this peer-reviewed, rapid-publication, international journal publishes both basic and clinical contributions from all disciplines and research areas relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric disorders.

The journal publishes novel results of original research which represent an important new lead or significant impact on the field, particularly those addressing genetic and environmental risk factors, neural circuitry and neurochemistry, and important new therapeutic approaches. Reviews and commentaries that focus on topics of current research and interest are also encouraged.

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