Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of living in (a) an urban and (b) a rural environment on levels of mental illness.

Public Health England and the Local Government Association published the report, Health and Wellbeing in Rural Areas in 2017 at the following link:

https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/1.39_Health%20in%20rural%20areas_WEB.pdf

The report highlights the variation in social factors that impact people in rural and urban areas, including factors that influence mental health and wellbeing.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published guidance to help policy makers assess the impact of policies on rural communities, recognising the specific issues faced by these communities at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/600450/rural-proofing-guidance.pdf

Scores from the General Health Questionnaire psychometric screening tool show that people living in greener areas experienced significantly lower levels of mental distress while life satisfaction scores show significantly higher levels of wellbeing among people living in greener areas.