Researchers also found a reduction of psychiatric cases on people living near coastal areas.
Some of the studies found that ocean exposure or running along river helped war veterans suffering from PTSD.
Others found that engaging in water-related activities such as surfing can help coping with mental health issues and help developing self-confidence and self-reliance skills. A large study looking at links between childhood exposure to blue spaces and adult well-being found that exposure to blue spaces in childhood was associated with better adult well-being.
Exposure to blue spaces is also linked to increased happiness. A group of researchers studying the effect of blue spaces on happiness used a mobile app to track mood feelings of people when they were near water landscapes. The researchers found increased levels of happiness in people near water bodies.
Consistently with the findings focusing on physical health, the positive effects on mood associated to blue spaces seem to diminish as the distance between the residence and the water increases.
Source: Wikipedia
