You know, when you sent over all these articles about hurricanes, I have to admit, I wasn't
really expecting to get so caught up on the psychology of it all.
Yeah, it's one of those things, right?
It's easy to overlook the human cost when you're focused on the physical damage.
Exactly.
It's all about the wind and the water.
But then you've got this other storm kind of brewing inside people long after the sky's
clear.
This 2021 study from social science and medicine, this one really got me thinking, they found
that just believing you've got access to some nice green spaces can actually make a difference
in your mental health after a hurricane.
Really interesting stuff.
That particular study was looking at the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston, specifically
how green spaces played into whether someone was more or less likely to experience probable
PTSD.
Okay, now hold on a sec.
For those of us who aren't, you know, researchers and scientists, what exactly are we talking
about when we say probable PTSD?
Good question.
Essentially, it means that someone's showing many of the same symptoms you would expect
with PTSD things like intrusive thoughts, anxiety, avoiding certain situations, but
they haven't necessarily been clinically diagnosed with PTSD.
Okay, so it's like they're somewhere on that spectrum of trauma response.
Exactly.
And what's fascinating is the researchers found that people who felt their neighborhoods
had access to better quality green spaces, they were significantly less likely to experience
those probable PTSD symptoms.
And the numbers are pretty compelling.
Basically what they found was that the prevalence of probable PTSD was lower with access to
those green spaces, even when they accounted for things like how much damage their home
sustained or how much money they made.
So even if someone went through a really, really rough time during the hurricane, just
having somewhere like a nice park to go to could still have a protective effect on their
mental health.
That's what this research is pointing to, yeah.
And it gets at the heart of why we're doing this deep dive today right there.
You were drawn to those personal stories in that NBC news piece, the ones that really
put a human face on the statistics.
It's those human moments that really stick with you.
Like there was that family who had to evacuate for both Hurricane Milton and Helene back to
back.
Imagine trying to stay strong for your kids when you're staring down two category five
storms just weeks apart.
It's not even just the immediate threat, is it?
It's knowing that another storm could be right around the corner.
The New York Times article, they described it as waiting for the ball to drop.
Powerful imagery.
It's that feeling you get after a scary movie.
Only it's your life and it's real.
And that CU and Schitt's article, the one with the doctor who was battling leukemia
while facing down another hurricane, talk about layers of stress.
Absolutely.
And that's what makes this whole green space angle so fascinating.
It's not just about making neighborhoods prettier.
It's about creating spaces that might actually help people heal and recover.
Okay, so we've established that hurricanes are rough on your mental state.
But how do green spaces help?
I mean, is it really as simple as nature is calming?
Well, thankfully it's a bit more nuanced than that.
The 2021 study, they actually looked at two main theories about why this connection might
exist.
The first is attention restoration theory.
Basically, the idea is that our brains are kind of hardwired to stay alert, especially
when we're facing down danger.
Which makes sense during a hurricane, your survival kind of depends on you paying attention,
right?
Exactly.
Problem is, that constant vigilance, it takes a toll.
Attention restoration theory, it suggests that green spaces give our brains a break
from being on all the time, which lets us restore our focus and think more clearly.
Like hitting the reset button.
Exactly.
And then you've got stress reduction theory, which is all about how nature affects us physically.
Being in green spaces has been shown to actually lower your stress hormones, like cortisol,
even reduce your blood pressure, like a mini vacation for your body and mind.
Sign me up.
So, we're talking about these green spaces being these little OACs of calm in our hectic
world.
In a way, yeah.
And what's really interesting is that the 2021 study found a connection between having
access to green spaces, what they called emotional resilience, and that lower likelihood
of PTSD we talked about.
Emotional resilience.
So, like your ability to bounce back from tough times.
Exactly.
And it's just about feeling calmer in that moment.
It's about building up your capacity to deal with stress and trauma in general.
Okay, now that makes a lot of sense.
This is where I get a little lost though.
What exactly did they mean by perceived quality of green spaces?
Isn't a patch of grass, any patch of grass, better than nothing?
That's where it gets interesting.
So, they actually use both objective and subjective measures of green space.
Objective being things like using satellite images to measure how much actual greenery
there is, and then subjective being focused on how people actually experience those spaces.
So someone could live near a park, but still not feel like it's a valuable green space
to them.
Exactly.
That perceived quality really matters.
It's about things like how safe you feel in that space, if it's well maintained, even
just personal preference.
You know, one person's idea of a restorative green space might be someone else's anxiety
trigger.
It's all about that personal connection to nature.
You got it.
And while we're talking about connections, it's kind of interesting what they didn't
find.
See, they were also exploring if maybe green spaces helped reduce PTSD because they helped
build stronger community ties, like the park brings people together, that kind of thing.
But that connection, it wasn't as strong as they expected.
So maybe it's more about that individual experience of nature, that feeling of, I don't know, finding
some peace and something bigger than yourself.
Yeah, I think you're onto something.
And it made me think about that 2007 study from the American Journal of Public Health,
the one on the mental health effects of the 2004 Florida hurricanes.
The one that found that PTSD rates were actually lower than they expected after those hurricanes.
That's the one.
Now, that study wasn't about green spaces or anything, but it did point out how important
timing and context are when you're doing this kind of research.
Different disasters, different communities, different responses.
So what you're saying is that every hurricane is unique when it comes to how it affects
people psychologically.
I think so, yeah.
And that's why I think this research on green spaces is so important.
It might actually give us a way to reduce those negative impacts no matter what the circumstances
are.
And that's what makes the focus on perceived quality in that 2021 study so interesting,
you know?
Yeah, it's not like just plopping down some random patch of glass is going to magically
heal a community.
Definitely not.
Yeah.
It's not more than that, right?
These green spaces have to be more than just nice to look at.
They need to feel safe, welcoming, restorative.
Which makes me think about that woman from the NBC article, the one who was so devastated
about the damage to the beaches.
Oh, right, yeah.
Beaches, they're definitely green spaces too, even if we don't always think of them that
way.
It's all about that connection to nature, right?
Feeling that sense of peace, that expansiveness, especially after something as crazy and destructive
as a hurricane.
For sure.
That brings up another good point that that study didn't really touch on.
Could the actual type of green space change how much it helps your mental health?
Like is a community garden going to be just as helpful as a huge national park?
Or how about just a street with a bunch of trees?
Is that enough to make a difference?
Good question.
I mean, we know from the research that even just believing you have access to good quality
green space can have a positive effect.
Exactly.
But there's still a lot we don't know about the specifics.
What makes one green space more impactful than another?
We're just starting to scratch the surface.
And that's where maybe our listeners can do a little research of their own.
There you go.
Pay attention next time you're in nature.
Which parts of it bring you the most peace?
What makes you feel the most clear-headed, the most joyful?
Is it a big group of trees or the sound of water or the smell of fresh cut grass?
What is it about that particular green space that makes it feel restorative to you?
I love that.
I love our crowdsourcing well-being or something.
And it really highlights something important here.
This isn't just about academics debating theories.
It's about taking this knowledge and using it to help ourselves and our communities.
Absolutely.
And speaking of helping, that NBC article also mentioned a resource I think is super important,
especially for anyone listening who might be feeling overwhelmed right now.
The Disaster Distress Hotline.
Yeah, that hotline is a lifeline for a lot of people.
It's immediate support.
Plus, it can connect people with local resources.
Because sometimes just knowing you're not alone, that someone understands what you're
going through, that can make all the difference.
Absolutely.
And if you know someone who's struggling, reach out to them.
Let them know you're there, even if it's just to listen.
Sometimes just listening is the best thing you can do.
Okay, so to recap.
We've talked about how profoundly hurricanes can affect you psychologically.
We've explored this fascinating research suggesting that green spaces can be really
helpful in recovering from those events.
And we've talked about how important that individual connection, that personal experience,
is when you're looking for spaces that feel restorative.
And we've also acknowledged that there's still a lot we don't know.
This whole relationship between green spaces, mental health, and recovering from disasters,
we need way more research to fully understand it.
That's what I think is so hopeful about all this, you know?
Yeah, it's not just about pointing out a problem.
It's about looking for solutions too.
Exactly.
And we're saying, everyone go find a park and your problems are solved.
Right.
This research, it could change so much from how we design our cities to how we prepare
for disasters, even just in our everyday lives.
Imagine if when they were planning out cities, they thought about parks and green spaces,
not as decoration, but as like essential parts of what makes a community strong.
Like little safe havens built right in.
Right.
And what if when they're rebuilding after a hurricane, it wasn't just houses and businesses,
but they also made sure to fix up those green spaces.
The places where people go to feel connected to nature and to each other.
And you know, it doesn't even have to be a hurricane.
Even if you don't live somewhere that has to deal with those kinds of storms, we can
only use a little more green in our lives, right?
Right.
A walk in the park, a little garden, even just some house plants.
Absolutely.
And I think it's what we've really uncovered here.
It's not just about making it through hurricane season.
It's about learning to be more resilient in general, more aware, more connected to the
natural world.
It's about that connection between our mental health and our physical health.
And realizing that sometimes the simplest things like getting out in nature can have
a huge impact.
So before we wrap up this deep dive, I want to leave you with this.
Yeah.
How can you bring a little more green into your life?
And I don't mean just for the agram.
I mean, for your own well-being.
Something to think about.
Who knows?
You might just learn something new about yourself and the world around you.
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive.
We'll see you next time.