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Effects of Home Neighborhood Tree Canopy Coverage on Mental Health Outcomes: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems
Shannon B Juengst1, Raj G Kumar, Alexandra Holland
1Author Affiliations: Brain Injury Research Center,TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas (Drs Juengst and Sander); Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, Texas (Dr Juengst); Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York (Dr Kumar); School of Public and Population Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas (Ms Holland); Department of Civil Engineering at Ariel University, Ariel, Israel (Dr Cohen); Spatial Pattern Analysis and Research Lab, Department of Geography at University of California, Santa Barbara, California(Dr Nelson); Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Dr Corrigan); H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas (Dr Sander); School of Data Science and Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (Dr Perrin); Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Richmond, Virginia (Dr Perrin); Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania (Drs Venkatesan and Rabinowitz); Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Drs Venkatesan and Rabinowitz); Baylor Scott and White Research Institute, Dallas, Texas (Dr Driver); Departments of Psychiatry and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas (Dr Wilmoth); and Department of Research, Craig Hospital, Englewood, Colorado (Dr Tefertiller).
Higher tree canopy coverage in neighborhoods was linked to worse mental health for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). This effect was more pronounced in rural areas, suggesting socioeconomic factors play a role.
Area of Science:
- Environmental psychology
- Neurorehabilitation
- Public health
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can significantly impact mental health.
- Neighborhood characteristics, such as tree canopy coverage (TCC), may influence recovery and well-being.
- Understanding these environmental influences is crucial for comprehensive TBI care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between neighborhood tree canopy coverage (TCC) and mental health outcomes in individuals with TBI.
- To examine how this relationship varies based on neighborhood factors like type and socioeconomic disadvantage.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the TBI Model Systems National Database.
- Utilized negative binomial regression models to assess depression and anxiety symptoms.
- Included covariates such as age, sex, neighborhood type, and socioeconomic disadvantage.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction was found between TCC and neighborhood type for both depression and anxiety symptoms.
- Individuals in rural neighborhoods with higher TCC reported more severe mental health symptoms.
- This association was attenuated after accounting for neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage.
Conclusions:
- The direct impact of TCC on mental health post-TBI appears small and contrary to hypotheses, especially in rural areas.
- Socioeconomic factors may mediate the observed relationship between TCC and mental health in rural TBI populations.
- Integrated analysis of social, natural, and built environmental factors is essential for understanding TBI recovery.
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