Term Paper
Alexander Fitzgerald
Natural Benefits on Mental Health
I did my research on the benefits of nature along with different types of environments that affect mental health. In my perspective, it is an important topic that explores ways in which abnormal behavior is triggered by unnatural settings and benefited by the natural world. It comes with all areas of functioning including cognitive, physiological, emotional, and behavioral. When we spend time outdoors, we feel connected to nature and that plays a huge role in improving psychological well-being. People who are exposed to nature have greater attention, less stress, better mood, and working memory. The more time we spend outdoors, the lower our risk for developing mental illness. There are also emotional benefits that enable us to find meaning and purpose of life.
Happiness is a key predictor of nature that many of us feel beyond a sense of connectedness as well as positive interactions with others. It is found that hiking in a wilderness promotes a healthier lifestyle by boosting mood and restoring attention. Depressed people also benefit from nature by just walking around in silence and listening to natural sounds. People who live in rural settings have more access to nature than those living in urban areas. Parks and beaches are examples of locations that provide green and blue spaces. The “green spaces” represent areas with forests and the woods as the most powerful source of the natural world. Blue spaces include rivers and ocean waves that seem to have cognitive benefits as well. Exercise through nature can be a beneficial tool to increase connection and cooperation.
As technology spreads globally, many of us are spending less time outside when in front of screens for most of the day. People that stick to the habit of modern living are sedentary. Research findings suggest that sitting in front of screens reduces the amount of time spent in outdoor nature. Spending more time indoors and on the internet can be harmful to human well-being if regular contact with nature is absent. In recent decades the number of children with virtual reality has increased sharply as more and more electronic devices become available. Screens are an issue that affect traditional values of society sparring children in current generations. Kids with excessive amounts of virtual entertainment are less likely to want to spend extra time playing outside. The unavailability of green spaces in neighborhood schools is linked to negative outcomes of children’s cognitive development such as poor social interactions, learning difficulties, and patterns of mental dysfunction that lead to aggression and impulsive behaviors. Young people who exhibit lack of exposure to nature are at increased risk for developing depressive and anxiety disorders later in life. ADHD is a mental disorder that some individuals develop when living without adequate exposure to green environments. Symptoms include inability to focus attention to tasks and memory loss. Some theorists propose that our drive to be in nature reduces fight-or-flight responses. Others argue that it is an essential part of human life and a therapeutic process.
In terms of contact with nature, it not only positively influences emotional and cognitive functioning but also contributes to benefits on physical and emotional health. Schools and businesses are aware that something needs to be done to make outdoor environments accessible, especially trees and grasses. In a research survey of principals and teachers in urban primary schools, evidence indicates that children who participated in nature based hands-on activities function better in their education. All schools should have control over students who behave abnormally in classrooms by considering environmental changes outside of the school building to be incorporated into the curricula. When children begin school, teachers manage play time outside the classroom for at least 30 minutes a day. Playgrounds and blacktops must be sited to enhance physical activity during recess time. Trees and other types of plants are significant aspects of green spaces that can be restored to promote strong benefits on healt and well-being. Most schools have windows that are large enough for kids to view the natural world from indoors during their busy days.
Scientists around the globe are working to determine the prevalence of green spaces that trigger nature experience. There is some research support in the field of psychological ecosystem services, with regard to positive values that affect mental health. Environmental advocates use an ecosystem services model to help them better understand how decisions related to nature projects impact mental health. Examples include improving air quality in urban areas, building new local parks, and addressing health inequality. These decisions are crucial in providing opportunities to increase access to nature with respect to populations struggling for resources. A set of models called integrated Valuation of the Ecosystems Services Tradeoffs (inVEST) are a useful tool to assess how production functions affect the value of ecosystem services. In an article, “Nature and Mental Health: An Ecosystems Perspective,” studies have found that various types of nature contact display many benefits on affect, cognitive, and physiological functioning. A body of research on the value of nature and mental health conveyed points of consensus to take into account the benefits. In the cognitive side, an exposure to nature is associated with children’s ability to learn in school, improved memory and concentration on tasks, and inhibitions. In the physiological side, it demonstrates better sensory experiences such as sights and sounds, a decreased risk for acute and post-traumatic stress, and improvement in sleep. With these associations incorporated in research, investigating causal and correlational factors of nature is an important aspect of understanding the relationships between environments and mental health. One study conducted by the University of Hexter’s Centre for Environment & Human Health found that people who spend two hours a week in nature experience healthy conditions than those who don’t. These findings concluded a high dose of green environments provides sufficient healing. Biological theories indicate that nature stimulates the nervous system and produces changes to neurotransmitter and dopamine activity in the brain. According to the diathesis-stress perspective, people who inherit a genetic predisposition to develop mental illness are more likely to experience stressors during late adolescence if not spending time outdoors. Nature immersion is the process of mental involvement in standard activities that benefit mental health.
Nature exposure reduces blood pressure and levels of stress hormones. Biologically nature targets the physiological responses to stressors that lower amounts of cortisol and arousal. A fight-or-flight response to stressful events decreases as more time spent outdoors occurs. Biological theories hold that nature improves connections between regions of the brain that increases norepinephrine activity. Cognitive-behavioral models suggest that nature-based activities promote positive thinking and enjoying pleasure. A person can be less worried about anything while hiking in areas with forests and rivers. A growing number of clinicians are studying the link between exposure to the natural world and the psychological problems clients experience. A key to understanding therapeutic effects of green and blue spaces involves identifying different types of environments and how they work. Nature is a therapist that guides people with psychological disorders through immersion. It helps to reduce depression and anxiety as well as crime rates and aggression. These factors are associated with positive social interactions and increased self-esteem. While psychotherapy and medication are all appropriate approaches of treatment for various psychological disorders, forest therapy is a preventative method that puts individuals in touch with the present moment to help them relax and stop luminating. Studies have shown that the effects go deeper than provide a sense of well-being. People who don’t feel safe enough to go out in nature become isolated and may result in risky behaviors and even poorer health. Being outdoors for certain periods of time has robust effects on people’s health and well-being.
When a person experiences the natural world, he or she sits in a conscious state and notices the breathing. Forest exposure helps us to relax, providing strong effects on the mind and body.
Nature therapy is referred to as Eco Therapy. It is the process of spending time doing therapeutic activities in green spaces where a licensed professional actively guides clients to explore and appreciate nature. These programs offer many options on different approaches to nature intervention for those who suffer from mental illness. The first is adventure therapy, which provides activities to be performed in an individual or group setting. Some examples include rafting and rock climbing. Animal assisted intervention is another option that connects participants with animals in green locations like parks, farms, and zoos. A therapist helps them learn to pet and feed the animals with joy and kindness. This form of treatment appears to have emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and motivational benefits on mental and physical health. Additionally, wilderness and horticulture therapies are as effective in improving human well-being as other approaches to nature appreciation. Individuals who spend time in wildlife use green environments for hiking and making shelters for invasive species. According to Maurie Long, a licensed therapist and counselor, she concluded, “It’s [about] noticing what is around you and increasing awareness of ourselves in relation to the world and environment.” (Laguele, paragraph 13). In terms of cognitive-behavioral principles, eco therapy is linked to mood modification and improvement in attention. In a biological view, nature exposure reduces risk for medical problems including pain and obesity combined with genetic factors associated with development of psychological disorders.
Researchers have found that spending as little as five minutes a day outdoors may help boost wellbeing. Despite our current lifestyle, most people now become distant from the natural world with advances of technology. Mental health officials made it clear that the majority of people living in the United States now spend most of their time indoors. In many parts of the country, cold weather is a concern because it prevents us from going outside due to lack of opportunurues in the natural world and limited daylight during the winter. Lack of sunlight can make some people feel depressed and unable to enjoy pleasure. Approximately 70 percent of the world’s population live in urban areas. An increase in urbanization and time spent online worry many mental health officials that people are restricted from nature. In recent years a growing number of psychologists are knowledgeable of eco therapy and its positive benefits on the brain. Promising results suggest nature therapy is done successfully by licensed therapists. Like any form of treatment for mental illness, eco therapy helps individuals improve relationship skills, lower stress levels, and reduce symptoms of ADHD. It may also lessen personality disorders as well as mood problems in childhood and adolescence. Nature therapy is a preventative method that promotes better functioning in daily life as well as a sense of connectedness.
In conclusion, the overall explanations of natural benefits on mental heath have helped us anticipate the basis of human intervention. The provision of ecosystem services in local communities are successful in improving environmental capacity so that everyone has access to green spaces. These projects opened the door to maximize the amount of land in order to achieve the benefits. Therapy in nature is highly effective in treating participants who suffer from various psychological disorders. This approach to treatment is now applied in therapists’ role in helping individuals become aware of their problems and increase levels of functioning.
Here is some of my artwork that represents the natural benefits on mental health. I have also included a link to my Redbubble shop where customers can purchase any item they like that has the piece titled “Nature Dream.”
https://www.redbubble.com/people/BrookevilleAlex/shop?asc=u
References
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Bratman, G. N., Daily, G. C., Levy, B. J., & Gross, J. J. (2015). The benefits of nature experience: Improved affect and cognition. Landscape and Urban Planning, 138, 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2015.02.005
Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., & Daily, G. C. (2012). The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1249(1), 118–136. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06400.x
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Maller, Cecily and Townsend, Mardie 2006, Children's mental health and wellbeing and hands-on contact with nature, International journal of learning, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 359-372.
Robbins , J., Pearce, F., & Cosier, S. (n.d.). Ecopsychology: How immersion in nature benefits your health. Yale E360. Retrieved October 16, 2021, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health.
Tillmann S, Tobin D, Avison W, et al Mental health benefits of interactions with nature in children and teenagers: a systematic review. J Epidemiol Community Health 2018;72:958-966.
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