Image: University of CanterburyA new Canterbury University study assessing the relationship between young people's mental health and where they grow up could influence urban and rural planning. Researchers at UC are mapping localities and investigating whether living near gaming venues, takeaways and liquor stores, or green and blue areas like parks and rivers are linked to mental health. UC public health lecturer Matt Hobbs, who is co-investigator on the project, told RNZ's Nine to Noon often research focused on individual aspects, but mental health was complex with multiple influences. “By changing the environment, this mirrors recent government health reforms which have shifted the focus away from treatment to prevention,” Hobbs says. “If we provide the evidence that supports that, [we can] drive those changes.”One in four young Kiwis have a mental health issue before they turn 18, with Māori and Pasifika over-represented.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 03, 2021 00:54 UTC