By cycling to the office, commuters are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants, research shows
Commuters who cycle to work are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants, new research shows.
Analysis of almost 380,000 people living in Scotland suggests that commuting by bike reduces the risk of poor mental health.
According to research from the University of Edinburgh, commuting by bike led to a greater reduction in mental health prescriptions among women than men – although men were more likely to cycle.
Researchers combined data on 378,253 people aged 16 to 74 from the 2011 Scottish census with NHS prescription data for the following five years.
The people surveyed lived and worked in Edinburgh or Glasgow, stayed within about a mile of a cycle path and had no prescriptions for mental health conditions at the start of the study.
Commuters who cycle to work are less likely to be prescribed antidepressants, new research shows (Stock Image)
Researchers found a 15 percent decrease in prescriptions for depression or anxiety among bicycle commuters in the five years after 2011, compared to non-cyclists.
Most previous studies have involved small numbers of participants and self-reported measures of mental health. Only around 2 per cent of commuters in Glasgow cycled to work, compared to just under 5 per cent in Edinburgh, data showed.
Dr. Laurie Berrie, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, said: ‘Our research took advantage of the fact that similar people are more likely to cycle to work if they live close to a cycle path.
‘Using this feature it was possible to simulate a randomized controlled trial and compare the mental health of those who cycled to work with those who used other modes of transport, but who were otherwise similar.’
Analysis of almost 380,000 people in Scotland shows that commuting by bike reduces the risk of poor mental health (Stock Image)
The study, published in The International Journal of Epidemiology, was funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) through Administrative Data Research (ADR) Scotland.
Professor Chris Dibben, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who led the research, said: ‘Our finding that this economical and sustainable way of traveling to work also improves mental health suggests that a policy of investing in cycle lanes and encouraging active commuting is likely to have major benefits.
‘Not only could this improve people’s mental health, it could also help reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion and air pollution.’