Canal restoration - just what the doctor ordered

It’s official – being by water really does benefit your health. A scientific study has shown that time spent by canals and rivers helps boost mood and improve mental wellbeing.

Being by water and in a green space with wildlife was also found to have a greater impact on wellbeing compared with spending time just in green spaces.

The real-time study, carried out by King’s College London, Nomad Projects and J & L Gibbons in partnership with the Canal and River Trust, was carried out using a smartphone app to collect data on participants’ locations and their mental wellbeing.

It recorded a positive improvement in mental wellbeing and with benefits that could continue for up to 24 hours after the visit had taken place. Nearly 300 people took part on the study, 87 of which had a diagnosis of mental illness, and participants were asked to complete an assessment three times a day for 14 days.

Andrea Mechelli, professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at King’s College London, said: “The findings provide an evidence base for what we thought about water and wellbeing and support the proposal that visits to canals and rivers could become part of social prescribing, playing a role in supporting mental health.”

Canal & River Trust ambassador Dr Amir Khan added: “As a GP and nature lover, it’s great to see that scientific studies have confirmed what many of us intuitively knew, that spending time by water and canals in particular, is good for your wellbeing.”