If you’ve been wondering where to live when you raise your children, perhaps this study will help you make a decision. According to researchers from the Aarhus University of Denmark. Growing up near vegetation is associated with an up to 55 percent lower risk of mental health disorders in adulthood. The biologist who led the study combined decades of satellite imagery with extensive health and demographic data of the Danish population to investigate the mental health effects of growing up near greenery. Of course, more practical factors like socioeconomic status, family history of mental illness, and urbanization can also have large effects on mental health. That means isolating the effects of nature from so many potential confounding factors requires a large and rich data set. The Danish Civil Registration System is just that. Armed with this data, the researchers were able to collect some profound findings: for example, alcoholism was most strongly associated with the lack of green space growing up. Another finding was that the strength of association between green space and risk of psychiatric disorder was similar to other factors known to influence mental health, like socioeconomic status. Still, one large question remains: What is it about growing up near trees and grass that seems to boost resilience against developing mental health problems? The researchers suggest we are evolved surrounded by green space, and something about being exposed to our “native” environment might have powerful physiological and psychological effects.