Health benefits of blue spaces article to feature in new book

A top-rated article written by Glasgow Caledonian University Research Centre for Health (ReaCH) academics Professor Sebastien Chastin and PhD candidate Michail Georgiou on the health benefits of blue spaces will feature in a new book.

The article in the global news network The Conversation ‘Living near water can be beneficial to your mental health - here’s how to have more blue spaces in cities’, which attracted thousands of readers worldwide, will be included in an anthology on water by Johns Hopkins University Press to be published in March.

The 200-page book is one of a series of publications on different topics designed to give members of the public working knowledge of key issues of important subjects.

Michail, who’s PhD investigates the impact of blue spaces on health, and Health Behaviour Dynamics of People, Places and Systems Professor Chastin, both from the School of Health and Life Sciences, were delighted with the news.

"We are honoured that our article will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press with a collection of articles already published in The Conversation US and other international editions. Just as academics publish on The Conversation to share their knowledge more broadly, the book aims to help a layperson learn about water from experts in an understandable way,” said Michail.

Michail and Professor Chastin received huge congratulations from The Conversation book project editorial assistant Kira Barrett for their success.

The researchers examined the physical and mental health benefits of living near a blue space like canals and discussed their years of ground-breaking research in the field.

ReaCH – improving health and wellbeing for all – in the School of Health and Life Sciences makes a direct and significant contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 3 – good health and wellbeing - issued by United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for peace and prosperity across the planet.