Impact of the Natural Environment on Individuals’ Psychological Well-being
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/745k0n10Keywords:
Natural environment, psychology, mental health, landscape architecture, urban design, sustainable development, biophilic design.Abstract
This article explores the intricate relationship between the natural environment and the human psyche. The article examines how exposure to nature can have a positive influence on mental health, increase life satisfaction, and promote the development of positive personality traits. By reviewing research on naturopathy, the outdoors, and personality development, the article emphasizes the profound impact of nature on human mental health and leads to the importance of integrating the natural environment into urban development. As a result, the article proposes the concept of Biophilic and discusses how Biophilic concepts can be integrated into future urban development from the perspective of landscape design to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of natural spaces in cities so that human beings can achieve psychological well-being through daily contact with natural environments. Natural environments are not only beneficial for human mental health but also for future urban sustainability as well as ecological diversity. Therefore, by prioritizing nature in future urban design and development, it is possible to create healthier, more resilient, and liveable cities that ultimately benefit human well-being and the environment.
Downloads
References
Ewert, A. W., Mitten, D., & Overholt, J. (2014). The Historic Connection Between Natural Environment and Human Health. In Natural environments and human health, 39-60. Retrieved from:https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQpoAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PR5&dq=Natural%20environments%20have%20a%20positive%20impact%20on%20mental%20health%20and%20human%20emotion&lr&pg=PR5#v=onepage&q=Natural%20environments%20have%20a%20positive%20impact%20on%20mental%20health%20and%20human%20emotion&f=false.
Wagenfeld, A., Roy-Fisher, C., & Mitchell, C. (2013). Collaborative design: Outdoor environments for veterans with PTSD. Facilities, 31 (9), 391-406.
Poulsen, D. V. (2017). Nature-based therapy as a treatment for veterans with PTSD: What do we know? Journal of Public Mental Health, 16 (1), 15-20.
Detweiler, Mark B, M.D., M.S., Self, J. A., PhD., Lane, S., M.A., Spencer, L., Lutgens, B., M.S.W., Kim, D., PhD., . . . Lehmann, L., M.D. (2015). Horticultural therapy: A pilot study on modulating cortisol levels and indices of substance craving, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and quality of life in veterans. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 21 (4), 36-41. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.cul.columbia.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/horticultural-therapy-pilot-study-on-modulating/docview/1696474522/se-2.
Gerlach-Spriggs, N., Kaufman, R. E., & Warner, S. B. (2004). Restorative gardens: The healing landscape. New Haven Conn.: Yale University Press.
Mitten D, Overholt JR, Haynes FI, D’Amore CC, Ady JC. Hiking: A Low-Cost, Accessible Intervention to Promote Health Benefits. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 2018; 12 (4): 302-310.
Pretty, J., & Barton, J. (2020). Nature-Based Interventions and Mind–Body Interventions: Saving Public Health Costs Whilst Increasing Life Satisfaction and Happiness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (21), 7769.
MacKerron, G., & Mourato, S. (2013, May 20). Happiness is greater in Natural Environments. Global Environmental Change.
Milfont, T. L., & Sibley, C. G. (2012, January 20). The big five personality traits and environmental engagement: Associations at the individual and societal level. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Di Fabio, A., Kenny, M.E. Connectedness to nature, personality traits and empathy from a sustainability perspective. Curr Psychol 40, 1095–1106 (2021).
Cheng, J. C.-H., & Monroe, M. C. (2012). Connection to Nature: Children’s Affective Attitude Toward Nature. Environment and Behavior, 44 (1), 31–49.
Irkhin, B. D. (2020). Who benefits from environmental identity? studying environmental identity and mental well-being in Russia. Psychology in Russia: State of the Art, 13 (3), 66–78.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
