New research suggests that giving people with existing mental health conditions formal ‘green prescriptions’ may undermine some of the benefits.
A University of Exeter team investigated whether contact with nature helps people with mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, to manage their symptoms.
They found that nature is associated with a number of benefits for these individuals, but only if they chose to visit these places themselves.
The team collected data from over 18,000 people in 18 countries.
A key aim was to understand why people feel motivated to spend time in nature, how often they visit, and how social pressure influences their emotional experiences during visits.
The findings suggest, pressure to spend time outdoors can encourage visits, but can undermine the potential emotional and wellbeing benefits of contact with nature.
People with depression were already visiting nature as frequently as people with no mental health issues, while people with anxiety were visiting significantly more often. They tended to feel happy and reported low anxiety during these visits.
When visits were not by choice, the more pressure people felt to visit nature, the less motivated people were and the more anxious they felt.
