Effectiveness of Green Spaces on the mental wellbeing of adolescents in Karachi, Pakistan: A Quasi Experimental Study

Wajahat Ali Butool Fatima Fozia Parveen ^*

• Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan

Rapid urbanization is reducing green spaces (GS) at an alarming rate, leaving school going adolescents with limited access to the natural environment. While literature highlights positive impacts of green spaces on mental wellbeing there's a critical gap in understanding how effective they are for adolescents in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi. Therefore, this quasi-experimental study aims to assess the effectiveness of green spaces on grade VIII students' mental well-being. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) was used to assess mental wellbeing at baseline and after 8 sessions of green space intervention. A total of 49 participants in the intervention (n=25) and control group (n=24) were enrolled from two community-based schools. Both groups were compared at baseline using the Mann Whitney U test while Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare mental wellbeing before and after the intervention. Mean score of mental wellbeing was significantly improved in intervention as compared to control arm (p value <0.01). The findings highlight that a school-based green space intervention was effective in improving mental wellbeing of adolescents. Integrating nature based interactive learning experiences offers a promising approach to cater mental well-being for our younger population.