Better mental health can be achieved through cycling to work

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh discovered people who cycle are less likely to be prescribed drugs to treat anxiety or depression.

The study, which included almost 380,000 people living in Scotland, has claimed that cycling to work over using other methods of transport such as car, bus or train, gives people a higher chance of reducing mental ill-health.

While previous research suggests cycling to work benefits peoples’ mental wellbeing, most studies have involved small numbers of participants and self-reported measures of mental health.

To conduct this particular project, which was funded by the Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC) experts examined people aged between 16-74 from the 2011 Scottish census with NHS prescription records for the following five years. These specific individuals lived and worked in Edinburgh or Glasgow, stayed within around one mile of a cycle path, and did not have any prescriptions regarding mental health.

Against this backdrop, researchers found a 15% reduction in prescriptions for depression or anxiety amongst cycle commuters in the five years after 2011 compared with non-cyclists.

In addition, commuting by bike led to greater reductions in mental health prescriptions in women rather than men.

Dr Laurie Berrie, from the school of GeoSciences, said: ‘Our study used the fact that otherwise similar people are more likely to cycle to work if they live close to a cycle path. Using this property, it was possible to mimic a randomised controlled trial and compare the mental health of those who cycled to work to those using other modes of transport but who were otherwise comparable.’

Following this, the teams analysis also reveals that only around 2% of commuters in Glasgow cycled to work, with just under 5% doing so in Edinburgh. In this instance, men were more likely than women to ride a bike to work.

‘Our finding that this economical and sustainable method of travelling to work also enhances mental health suggests that a policy of investing in cycle paths and encouraging active commuting is likely to have wide-ranging benefits,’ Professor Chris Dibben, who as well as Dr Berrie is from the school of GeoSciences and is involved in the study, said. ‘Not only could this improve peoples’ mental health, it could also help reduce carbon emissions, road congestion and air pollution.’ 

Image: Ronaldo de Oliveira

More on this topic:

Scotland announces funding for project for LGBT youth mental health

Coalition calls for £1.7bn investment in children’s mental health services