Journal
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
Volume 12, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.580992
Keywords
nature engagement; eco psychology; mental health; environment; well-being; mechanisms of change
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Through semi-structured interviews with seven female students, the study revealed that nature engagement has positive effects on well-being and mental health, including aspects like sensory input, emotional calmness, enhanced efficiency, and reduced pressure.
Research studies have identified various different mechanisms in the effects of nature engagement on well-being and mental health. However, rarely are multiple pathways examined in the same study and little use has been made of first-hand, experiential accounts through interviews. Therefore, a semi-structured interview was conducted with seven female students who identified the role of nature engagement in their well-being and mental health. After applying thematic analysis, 11 themes were extracted from the data set, which were: enjoying the different sensory input, calm nature facilitates a calm mood, enhancing decision making and forming action plans, enhancing efficiency and productivity, alleviating pressure from society's expectations regarding education, formation of community relations, nature puts things into perspective, liking the contrast from the urban environment, feel freedom, coping mechanism, and anxious if prevented or restricted. The results indicate complementary mechanisms for how nature-related activities benefit mental health and well-being that may occupy different levels of experience within a hierarchical framework informed by perceptual control theory.
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