Blog 2: What are the psychological effects of exposure to natural environments?

Over recent years there have been many research studies which have found possible links between exposure to natural environments and reduced stress levels, reduced ADHD symptoms in children, decreased recovery time from mental fatigue and physical illness and increased feelings of well-being.

A research study conducted by Kuo and Taylor (2004) suggested that exposure to a green or a natural environment improves symptoms in children who have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study used participants aged between 6 and 18 years of age across a wide range of gender, socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. Kuo and Taylor found that ADHD symptoms improved consistently across all of these groups. The study asked parents to rate their child’s symptoms before and after their child participated in one of 49 after school activities on the weekend. Their results found that parent’s rated their children’s symptoms better on average after activities that were conducted in green settings rather then non-green settings. Their results also found that activities such as reading or playing sport improved symptoms more when they were performed in an outdoor green setting rather than a non-green setting.

Kaplan (1995) conducted a study which looked at the restorative benefits of nature. Findings from his study suggested that natural environments assist people in recovering from mental fatigue. Kaplan suggested this may be because when people are in natural settings, they engage their mind effortlessly, which gives people a break from having to deliberately focus their attention. Kaplan’s findings are supported by Wells (2000) who linked exposure to nature with superior attention and effectiveness for children at school. Wells also found that children who have views of nature from their school desk score better on tests of concentration and self-discipline. The results of Well’s research also found that the greener the scenery was, the higher the scores on the concentration tests.

A study conducted by Hartig, Mang and Evans (1991) also examined the restorative benefits of nature. In this study participants were randomly assigned to one of three treatments. The first group went for a walk in a natural environment, the second group walked in an urban environment and the final group relaxed in a comfortable chair. The participants happiness, positive affect, anger and aggression levels were measured after each exercise. The study found that people who went on a nature walk reported higher scores of happiness and positive affect, along with lower scores on anger and depression scales.

Lauver (2001) also supports the idea that natural environments provide restoration and increased cognitive abilities. Lauver states that watching a sunset or gardening can increase ones cognitive abilities to cope with a major illness. Lauver also mentions in his article that natural environments can be used as part of a nursing therapy, especially in women. The women who perform a nature activity report less psychological distress and improved cognitive functioning when undergoing nursing therapy. Kaplan (1995) supports Lauver’s argument by stating that spending time in nature allows women to restore concentration and attention processes which reduce their level of mental fatigue caused by their daily routines.
There has also been research which has suggested a link between natural surroundings and increased recovery time from surgery. Ulrich (1984) studied 24 patients who were recovering from surgery in hospital. These patients were matched for age, gender, health status, smoking habits and obesity levels. Ulrich found that the patients who were recovering in rooms which overlooked tress and natural surroundings had a quicker recovery time and fewer negative comments about their stay in hospital then those patients who could view a brick wall from their room. Ulrich suggested this may was because natural surroundings promote positive feelings of well-being and happiness.

Exposure to outdoor settings and fresh air has also been linked to levels of depression in a study conducted in Sweden by Hartig, Catalano and Ong (2007). The study examined the number of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) anti-depressants prescribed in Sweden over the month of July which is traditionally a holiday month in Sweden. The results of the study suggested that constraining time spent outside in July because of below average temperatures and an increased number of cloudy days in July leads to an increase in the number of SSRI’s dispensed in that month. Hartig, Catalano and Ong suggest this might be due to the outdoor scenery distracting people from their troubles, allowing them to forget about their normal stressful work environments. However if there are colder temperatures and more cloudy days people spent less time outdoors which did not allow them to remove their built up stress levels by being outside and hence caused more people to need treatment for depression.
A report on the benefits of ecotherapy looked at the effect of green exercise on people who had current mental health problems (National Association for Mental Health, 2007). Participants undertook two exercises, firstly they took a walk through a country park and the second task involved taking a walk in an indoor shopping centre. This study found that 71 percent of participants reported decreased levels of depression after the walk through the park whereas only 45 percent experienced a decrease in depression when taking a walk through a city shopping centre. The walk through the shopping centre also caused 22 percent of people to experience an increase in depression. This study also found that walking through the park caused a decrease in tension, and a significant increase in self-esteem. In comparison to this 44 percent of participants said their self-esteem decreased after walking through the shopping centre (National Association for Mental Health, 2007).

Hung and Chang (2004) conducted a study which compared the restorative effects of natural environmental settings and man-made environmental settings. Participants in the study were shown slides of recreational settings in natural and man-made environments. Hung and Chang measured the brain wave responses of the participants as they viewed each slide. Hung and Chang found that brain waves were higher when viewing natural settings compared to man-made recreational areas. This natural setting also increased physical relaxation, increased attention, and increased relaxation scores.

All of the abovementioned research suggests that there is a positive link between time spent outdoors in natural, green settings and improved mental health. The benefits appear to be far ranging however the most common effects of “ecotherapy” seems to be restoration of mental processes, reduced stress levels and increased feelings of well-being.

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References
Hartig, T., Catalano, R. & Ong, M. (2007). Cold summer weather, constrained restoration, and the use of antidepressants in Sweden. Journal of Environmental Psychology. Vol. 27(2), pp. 107-116.

Hartig, T., Mang, M. & Evans, G. W. (1991). Restorative effects of natural environment experiences. Environment and Behaviour. Vol 23, pp 3-26.

Hung, C. C. and Chang, C. Y. (2004). A study of the restorative effects of urban and natural recreational settings. International Society for Horticultural Science. Vol. 639, pp. 235-239.

Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework. Journal of environmental psychology. Vol. 15(3), pp. 169-182.

Kuo, F. E. and Taylor, A.F. (2004). A potential natural treatment for attention-deficity/hyperactivity disorder: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 94 (9), p 1580-1586.

Lauver, D. R. (2000). Commonalities in Women’s Apirituality and Women’s Health. Advances in Nursing Sciences, 22(3), pp. 76-88.

National Association for Mental Health (2007). Mind: Go green to beat the blues. Retrieved online October 25, 2007 from http://www.mind.org.uk/News+policy+and+campaigns/Press/Mind+Week+ecotherapy.htm

Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224, pp 420-421.

Wells, N. M. (2000). At home with nature: Effect of “greenness” on children’s cognitive functioning. Environment and Behaviour, Vol 32 (6), pp 775-795.