Nature is a natural antidepressant, study finds

UngulateNerd92

UngulateNerd92

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10+ year member
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Humans spend huge chunks of their lives indoors. We often work indoors, we sleep indoors, we cook most of our meals indoors and we often spend our free time relaxing indoors as well. We like to think that because we’ve built homes and roads and vehicles that being outdoors is an option (and something that many people enjoy) but not a necessity. As scientists are beginning to learn more and more about the effects of being outdoors on the human body and mind, it’s becoming clear that we need nature in our lives if we want to be happy and healthy.

A new research analysis of dozens of scientific studies paints an incredibly vivid picture of how nature can dramatically change how we think and feel. The paper, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is a wake-up call for anyone who thinks that staying inside and shutting the curtains is the key to a stress-free life.

Nature is a natural antidepressant, study finds
 
birdsandbats said:
This is an important finding for today's world. I hope this becomes mainstream, it could drive conservation very well.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing! This finding should be cited more often and brought into our mainstream dialogue.
 
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The destruction and degredation of nature definitely triggers my own depression.

Ecological grief is something I deal with and perhaps this topic could have a thread of its own.
Ecological grief - Wikipedia

I know that I shared this quote elsewhere on the forum, but every word of this is something I can personally relate to and wholeheartedly agree with.

"One growing epidemic in society is depression, something I now deal with everyday. Thinking about my own depression , I notice people want to assume that to be depressed means there is something wrong with you psychologically or biologically.

Rarely does one say: "You are majorly depressed, but that is OK because you are truly empathetic and sensitive person who must truthfully endure the harsh society we exist in."

While we know depression does trigger brain chemicals that often need to be "stopped" in order to allow for a pause so the mind can readjust, in most cases that cycle still starts from somewhere, like the death of a family member, break-up, state of employment and so on.

So I suppose my point is that one's depression in society can represent something happening socially, creating trends that can be understood on the population level in terms of public health. Ideally, this measure would be useful to help adjust our society for the better, of course. Yet, little seems to be happening... only more drugs.

Anyway, so those of you out there who take the time to pay attention to the world as it is, outside your inner circles, feeling it's dischord in a depressive way -- don't fret. Those that truly care, like you, are mostly miserable too. And those with big fat droolly smiles on their faces, dancing around our global warzone -- are probably more likely to be mentally ill I'm some way than you!"

- Peter Joseph, American independent filmmaker, activist, and founder of the Zeitgeist Movement.
 
Here is another relevant article. As I said, ecological grief is something I personally struggle with.

"Therapists Are Seeing More Patients Struggle With Climate Anxiety

Mental health professionals are developing a new standard of mental health care for our climate-changed world.

Andrew Bryant, a therapist based in Tacoma, Washington, felt helpless the first time climate change came up in his office. It was 2016, and a client was agonizing over whether to have a baby. His partner wanted one, but the young man couldn’t stop envisioning this hypothetical child growing up in an apocalyptic, climate-changed world.

Bryant was used to guiding people through their relationship conflicts, anxieties about the future, and life-changing decisions. But this felt different — personal. Bryant had long felt concerned about climate change, but in a distant, theoretical way. The patient’s despair faced him with an entirely new reality: that climate change would directly impact his life and the lives of future generations.

“I had never considered the possibility,” Bryant said. In that moment, his fear was a dense fog. All he could think about in response to his client’s anxiety was his own young children: What world would they inherit? Should he feel guilty for bringing them into it?"

Therapists Are Seeing More Patients Struggle With Climate Anxiety
 
Here is another relevant article. I am glad to see this nature center doing this.

Nature on prescription: wetlands project aims to boost mental health

London Wetlands Centre to run courses focusing on wildlife beauty as therapy to help alleviate depression and anxiety

Hundreds of people experiencing poor mental health will be introduced to the natural beauty of wetlands under a “blue prescribing” scheme.

There is increasing evidence of the benefits of nature for mental health and wellbeing. A recent pilot wetlands project showed that people diagnosed with anxiety or depression moved up a clinical mental health grade, from below average to average.

Now a scheme will start this summer at the WWT London Wetland Centre in the UK with six-week wetlands courses co-designed by the WWT, the Mental Health Foundation and participants themselves. Activities could include birdwatching, pond dipping, nature walks and habitat protection work. Participants’ travel costs are to be funded and their progress assessed using standard medical questionnaires.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...-wetlands-project-aims-to-boost-mental-health
 
Here is another relevant article.

Can birdwatching really improve our mental health? The science says yes

We all know that spending time in nature is enjoyable, but now there’s increasing evidence that wildlife – and birds in particular – have a profound positive impact on our mental wellbeing. We delve into the latest discoveries from the fields of biology, economics and psychology.

Can birdwatching really improve our mental health? The science says yesd=c059c195d5
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Here is another relevant article.

Can birdwatching really improve our mental health? The science says yes

We all know that spending time in nature is enjoyable, but now there’s increasing evidence that wildlife – and birds in particular – have a profound positive impact on our mental wellbeing. We delve into the latest discoveries from the fields of biology, economics and psychology.

Can birdwatching really improve our mental health? The science says yesd=c059c195d5
Click to expand...

Considering the link won't come through here, let me share it again.

Can birdwatching really improve our mental health? The science says yes
 
Here is another relevant article.

Sounds of nature benefit mental health and promote environmental protection

The sounds of nature could help us recover from mental fatigue, but this power may be under threat as ecosystems deteriorate and people disconnect from the natural world, according to new research published in the journal Global Environmental Change.

Led by a team from the University of Exeter, the study analyzed data from over 7,500 people collected as part of the BBC's multi award-winning series, Forest 404, an eco-thriller podcast that depicted a dystopian world devoid of nature.

https://phys.org/news/2022-03-nature-benefit-mental-health-environmental.html
 
Here is a relevant article. This event may be of interest for ZooChatters living in Ontario, Canada.

Forest Therapy Walk at Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area

Event Details:

Join certified Forest Therapy Guide Kristie Virgoe for an engaging and interactive Forest Bathing experience at
Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area
on Friday, June 10th.

This exploration of nature and our connectivity with the world around us is suited for both newcomers to forest bathing as well as those who have enjoyed the practice previously.

Forest Therapy Walk at Pigeon River Headwaters Conservation Area June 10, 2022
 
Here is another relevant article.

Why walking through the countryside 'tames' our brain

“I’m going to the countryside over the weekend to disconnect.”

This is a common refrain among people who, overwhelmed by the big city, seek to spend a few days in nature as a means of escape. We all know it works – a couple of days spent in rural relaxation and we return with our batteries recharged.

The sheer concentration of people in urban areas is growing faster than desired. Currently, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and the proportion is expected to continue to rise. It is estimated that, by 2050, seven out of ten people in the world will live in large municipalities. Many of us will spend up to 90% of our lives within buildings.

Life in the city has its advantages, but it also poses a significant mental health risk. In fact, mood disorders, anxiety and depression are up to 56% more common in urban settings than in rural ones.

Why walking through the countryside 'tames' our brain
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
The destruction and degredation of nature definitely triggers my own depression.

Ecological grief is something I deal with and perhaps this topic could have a thread of its own.
Ecological grief - Wikipedia

I know that I shared this quote elsewhere on the forum, but every word of this is something I can personally relate to and wholeheartedly agree with.

"One growing epidemic in society is depression, something I now deal with everyday. Thinking about my own depression , I notice people want to assume that to be depressed means there is something wrong with you psychologically or biologically.

Rarely does one say: "You are majorly depressed, but that is OK because you are truly empathetic and sensitive person who must truthfully endure the harsh society we exist in."

While we know depression does trigger brain chemicals that often need to be "stopped" in order to allow for a pause so the mind can readjust, in most cases that cycle still starts from somewhere, like the death of a family member, break-up, state of employment and so on.

So I suppose my point is that one's depression in society can represent something happening socially, creating trends that can be understood on the population level in terms of public health. Ideally, this measure would be useful to help adjust our society for the better, of course. Yet, little seems to be happening... only more drugs.

Anyway, so those of you out there who take the time to pay attention to the world as it is, outside your inner circles, feeling it's dischord in a depressive way -- don't fret. Those that truly care, like you, are mostly miserable too. And those with big fat droolly smiles on their faces, dancing around our global warzone -- are probably more likely to be mentally ill I'm some way than you!"

- Peter Joseph, American independent filmmaker, activist, and founder of the Zeitgeist Movement.
Click to expand...

Here is a relevant article pertaining to environmental despair. Despite the empiricism often seeming to show the contrary, someone once said to me, without some amount of at least cautious optimism, we don't even try and achieve... I will also add to that, one key lesson learned last year was that in the words of another member here, pessimism if left unchecked can lead to a mindset and a lifestyle of apathy and nihilism which breeds inaction allowing our problems individually or collectively to fester and worsen. What is equally problematic however is unfounded optimism, in other words, hyper-focus on fictitious and feel good narratives and overlooking or dismissing to complicated, complex, and painful truths, essentially wrapping ourselves in a false yet comfortable security blanket, again allowing these problems individually or collectively to fester and worsen.

An Antidote for Environmental Despair

When it comes to conservation, hope is much more useful than gloom.

As the environmental problems facing our world compound, despair may feel like a rational response. In her new book, Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think Is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis, environmental scholar Elin Kelsey makes an evidence-based argument for choosing hope over despair. Kelsey holds up examples of how ecosystems—including along our coasts and in our ocean—have managed to rebound from damage when given the chance, illustrating nature’s impressive resilience. By sharing these case studies, Kelsey offers reasons to reject apathy and to mobilize. Only if we believe there’s an opportunity to make a real positive impact will we find the motivation to fight for the protection and restoration of ecosystems we depend on. In this condensed excerpt, Kelsey shares a few hope-filled success stories specific to coastal ecosystems.

We are living amid a planetary crisis. “I am hopeless,” a student in an environmental study graduate program recently told me. “I’ve seen the science. I am hopeless because the state of the planet is hopeless.”

It’s not surprising she feels so depressingly fatalistic. In his speech at the start of a two-week international conference in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The point of no return is no longer over the horizon. It is in sight and hurtling toward us.”

And this student isn’t alone in her feelings. I often give public talks and no matter where I am in the world, I begin by inviting people to share how they are feeling about the environment with the person sitting beside them, and then, if they are willing, to call out some of the words that capture these feelings. I have done this hundreds of times, and every time, the answers shock me. When I look out at these audiences, I see bright, healthy, relaxed-looking people who have somehow found the time to come to a public lecture. Yet their answers convey an unnerving level of grief and despair: “Scared,” “Hopeless,” “Depressed,” “Numb,” “Apathetic,” “Overwhelmed,” “Guilty,” “Paralyzed,” “Helpless,” “Angry,” call out the voices. Whether the room is filled with adults, university students, or kids as young as grade three, whenever I ask, the words remain the same.

An Antidote for Environmental Despair | Hakai Magazine
 
Here is another relevant article.

Mental Wellbeing is improved by Nature

We all know how much crucial it is to take care of our mental wellbeing. Nowadays we spend our most of the time at work or on the phone. Our increasing reliance on technology, cooupled with an urban lifestyle reduces time spent outdoors. However, did you know spending time in nature improves mental health?

How can nature benefit mental wellbeing?
Spending time in green space, you can improve both your mental and physical wellbeing. Activities, such as growing food or flowers, exercising outdoors or being around animals can have a plethora of positive effects. It can:
  • Improve your physical health
  • Improve your confidence and self-esteem
  • Help you be more active
  • Reduce loneliness
  • Help you feel more connected to nature
  • Improve your mood
  • Reduce feelings of stress or anger
  • Help you take time out and feel more relaxed
Mental Wellbeing is improved by Nature
 
Here is another relevant article.

NHS ‘could save £635m by prescribing time in nature’

Government survey found 90 per cent of people said being in nature was good for their mental health

The NHS could save more than £635m a year by signing some patients up to nature-based health and wellbeing programmes, a report by The Wildlife Trusts says.

The study, published under the title, A Natural Health Service: Improving Lives and Saving Money, found that the amount of money saved in healthcare costs would be greater than the money invested.

NHS ‘could save £635m by prescribing time in nature’
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Here is another relevant article.

NHS ‘could save £635m by prescribing time in nature’

Government survey found 90 per cent of people said being in nature was good for their mental health

The NHS could save more than £635m a year by signing some patients up to nature-based health and wellbeing programmes, a report by The Wildlife Trusts says.

The study, published under the title, A Natural Health Service: Improving Lives and Saving Money, found that the amount of money saved in healthcare costs would be greater than the money invested.

NHS ‘could save £635m by prescribing time in nature’
Click to expand...

Unfortunately £635 million is not a lot compared to the cost of creating and protecting green spaces, especially considering the profits that can be made from building on open spaces.
There's a reason we're one of the most nature depleted nations in the world.
 
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