“Given that the societal costs of depression alone in Australia are estimated at $12.6 billion a year, savings to public health budgets across all health outcomes could be immense.”

And Dr Shanahan said many Brisbanites were missing out. 40 per cent of Brisbane’s residents did not visit a park in their typical week, so there needed to be more encouragement for people to spend time in green space.

“We need more support and encouragement of community activities in natural spaces,” she said.

“For example, the Nature Play programs in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia provide heaps of ideas for helping kids enjoy the great outdoors.

“Our children especially benefit from spending more time outdoors.

“Kids who grow up experiencing natural environments may benefit developmentally and have a heightened environmental awareness as adults than those who don’t.”

Another UQ CEED researcher, Associate Professor Richard Fuller, said the research could transform the way people viewed urban parks.

“We’ve known for a long time that visiting parks is good for our health, but we are now beginning to establish exactly how much time we need to spend in parks to gain these benefits,” he said.

“We have specific evidence that we need regular visits of at least half an hour to ensure we get these benefits.”

Dr Shanahan said the health benefits of regular parklife included reduced risk of developing heart disease, stress, anxiety and depression.