Scientists gave 38 households in an economically deprived part of Salford in the north of England a tree, a shrub¹, and some other flowering plants. More than half said the plants made them feel happier. But the scientists also measured cortisol levels in their saliva², which indicate how stressed they are.

科学家们给位于英格兰北部索尔福德一个经济贫困地区的 38 个家庭提供了一棵树、一个灌木和其它一些开花植物。超过一半的人说这些植物让他们感觉更快乐。与此同时，科学家们也测量了他们唾液中的皮质醇水平，皮质醇水平可以表明他们的压力有多大。

 

Before the experiment, only a quarter of those involved had healthy cortisol levels. Afterwards, half did so. Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui from the Royal Horticultural Society is the lead author of the study. She says it has major implications for public policy.

在进行实验之前，只有四分之一参与者的皮质醇水平处于正常水平。但后来，有一半人的皮质醇水平处于正常水平。来自皇家园艺学会的劳莉雅娜·苏因·查明-普伊（Lauriane Suyin Chalmin-Pui）是这项研究的第一作者。她说，这项研究对公共政策有重大影响。

 

The research has also found that the effects of the plants on people’s perceptions of stress were similar to a previous study in which participants were given mindfulness and meditation³ sessions once a week for eight weeks.

研究还发现，这些植物对人们对压力感知的影响与之前的一项研究相似。在那项研究中，参与者每周参加一次正念和冥想的课程，持续八周。

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