The Impact of Park Access on Mental Health in Urban Areas
OBJECTIVE
Mental health issues are growing in urban environments. This project, conducted for We Rise 4 Wellness, a non-profit organization, aims to explore whether access to parks and green spaces can positively influence mental health outcomes in Florida
SKILLS
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Data wrangling
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Data merging
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Deriving variables
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Grouping data
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Aggregating data
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Reporting
POPULATION WITH POOR MENTAL HEALTH
Urban counties like Pasco, Bay, Volusia, Duval, Citrus, and Hernando report highest percentages, closer to 18%.
CORRELATION BETWEEN PARK ACCESS AND MENTAL HEALTH
Insight:
There is a positive correlation: counties with higher park access tend to report better mental health outcomes. However, the relationship is weak, suggesting that access to parks alone may not be enough to significantly improve mental health.
Interpretation:
This tells us that while parks may have a role in improving mental health, other factors, such as access to healthcare, economic stability, or social programs, likely play a larger role.
CORRELATION BETWEEN PARK ACCESS AND DEPRESSION
Insight:
This scatter plot shows a negative correlation, meaning counties with better park access tend to have fewer cases of diagnosed depression.
Interpretation:
While the correlation is weak, it suggests that increasing park access could be part of the solution to addressing mental health challenges like depression, especially in densely populated areas.
CORRELATION BETWEEN PARK ACCESS AND HOSPITALIZATIONS
Insight:
Contrary to the expected direction of a relationship (where access to parks might decrease mental health issues), this model shows a positive relationship between park access and the number of mental hospitalizations. This suggests that as park access increases, mental hospitalizations also increase.
Interpretation:
There might be other confounding factors at play (e.g., population density, healthcare access, or socio-economic conditions) that are influencing both access to parks and mental hospitalizations.
It may also suggest that areas with higher park access are urban centers with larger populations and more hospitalizations in general.
KEY INSITES
Weak but Positive Correlations:
There is a positive correlation between park access and good mental health, as well as a negative correlation between park access and diagnosed depression. However, these correlations are weak, suggesting other factors are at play.
Complexity of Mental Health:
Mental health hospitalizations show that access to parks alone is not enough to reduce severe mental health burdens. Broader wellness programs and healthcare access are necessary to address more serious mental health issues.