A new U.K. study of almost 26,000 people finds that those who reside about half a mile from the beach have better mental health than those who live more than 30 miles away.
Related: I’m 66, get $26,300 a year in Social Security and want a small city by the ocean. Where should I retire? The report notes that one in six adults in England suffers from a mental health disorder — as does almost one in five Americans, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. A Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development report released last year warned that mental disorders are on the rise in every country, and will cost the global economy $16 trillion in lost productivity by 2030, as an estimated 12 billion working days are lost to mental illness each year.
The findings build upon a growing pool of research that suggests blue spaces, including coasts, rivers and lakes, can be a protective zone for psychological health. Research has linked people living around these aquatic environments with having increased physical activity, lower psychological distress, better overall health and well-being, as well as lower mortality rates.
US coastal cities are full of trust fund folks, slaves, and beach bums; but anywhere else in central america there is natural paradise livin