Are some
natural environments more psychologically beneficial than others?
University of Surrey
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| Photo by Will Collette |
During this innovative study, researchers from the University of
Surrey, University of Exeter, University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine
Laboratory worked with Natural England to examine the experiences of over 4,500
people when spending time in nature and investigated for the first time how
different environmental settings and their quality impacted on psychological
wellbeing.
Asking participants to describe their visit and to evaluate
their overall encounter, researchers discovered that those who visited rural
and coastal locations reported greater psychological contentment than those who
spent time in urban green spaces, such as city gardens and parks.
It was also found that visits to natural areas of protected or designated status i.e. national parks, also resulted in improved mental wellbeing.
It was also found that visits to natural areas of protected or designated status i.e. national parks, also resulted in improved mental wellbeing.
Researchers found these visits to nature (especially those to
protected sites and to coastal and rural green settings) were associated with
both greater feelings of relaxation and refreshment but also stronger emotional
connections to the natural world.
Interestingly it was discovered that visits longer than 30 minutes were associated with a better connection and subsequently had greater psychological benefits.
Interestingly it was discovered that visits longer than 30 minutes were associated with a better connection and subsequently had greater psychological benefits.
Socio-economic status was also found not to be a factor in enjoyment of nature, demonstrating the importance of providing free/affordable entrance to sites. This will help prevent socio-economic inequality in accessing nature.
Lead author of the paper Dr Kayleigh Wyles, who undertook the
research whilst at Plymouth Marine Laboratory and now Lecturer in Environmental
Psychology at the University of Surrey, said:
"We've demonstrated for some time that nature can be
beneficial to us, but we're still exploring how and why. Here we have found
that our mental wellbeing and our emotional bond with nature may differ
depending on the type and quality of an environment we visit.
"These findings are important as they not only help unpick
the mechanisms behind these psychological benefits, but they can also help to
prioritise the protection of these environments and emphasise why accessibility
to nature is so important."
Professor Mel Austen, Head of the Sea and Society Science Area
at Plymouth Marine Laboratory said: "It was surprising to learn that the
extent of protection of marine environments also affects the extent of mental
health benefits that people gain from their interactions with the sea.
"People's health is likely to become an increasingly
important aspect to consider as we manage our coasts and waters for the benefit
of all users."
The positive benefits of interaction with nature are well
documented with numerous studies reporting a reduction of stress levels in
participants and an increase in overall wellbeing in those spending time in
nature. This is the first study of its kind which shows that different types of
natural environments have more of an impact on psychological wellbeing than
others.