According to a new study, being in contact with characteristic elements of nature, such as trees, plants, water and even birds, would be beneficial for our mental health.
- Environments with more natural characteristics are associated with greater well-being, compared to those with less diversity.
- Environmental diversity is defined by the presence of four elements: trees, plants, birds and water.
- In other words, seeing trees, water, plants and also hearing birds is beneficial for mental health.
When we think of a place to recharge our batteries, the images that generally come up are associated with nature! And for good reason, it is scientifically proven: the characteristic elements of nature are good for our mental health, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Trees, water, birds: “biodiversity is essential for mental well-being”
During their study, researchers from King’s College London studied data from 1,998 participants, collected via the app Urban mind. For fourteen days, they had to provide information on the greater or lesser diversity of their environment (defined by the presence of four elements: trees, plants, birds and water) and answer questions concerning their mental health.
Thus, researchers observed that environments with the most natural characteristics were associated with greater well-being, compared to those with less diversity. In other words, seeing trees, water, plants and also hearing birds were beneficial.
“With climate change we are seeing a rapid decline in biodiversity in the UK as well as globally, says Andrea Mechelli, lead author, in a communicated. Our results show that biodiversity is essential not only for [l’environnement], but also for mental well-being (…). It is time to recognize that biodiversity has benefits for both planetary and human health, and that it must be considered vital for our cities.”
Protecting and promoting natural diversity to improve mental health
In detail, almost a quarter of the positive impact of nature on mental health could be explained by the diversity of the characteristics present. “Our results highlight that by protecting and promoting natural diversity, we can maximize the benefits of nature on mental well-being”explains Ryan Hammoud, another author.
An important public health issue because, according to health insurance, anxiety disorders affect approximately 15 to 20% of the population at some point in their lives. And according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), the same proportion is affected, at least once in their life, by a depressive disorder.
