Contact with nature during childhood could lead to better mental health in adulthood
Adults who had close contact with natural spaces during their childhood could have better mental health than those who had less contact, according to a new study by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
The adult participants answered a questionnaire on frequency of use of natural spaces during childhood. They were also asked about their current amount, use and satisfaction with residential natural spaces, as well as the importance they give to such spaces. The mental health of the participants in terms of nervousness and feelings of depression in the past four weeks, as well as their vitality -energy and fatigue levels- were assessed through a psychological test.
The results show that adults who were less exposed to natural spaces during their childhood had lower scores in mental health tests, compared to those with higher exposure. Myriam Preuss, first author of the study, explains that "in general, participants with lower childhood exposure to nature gave a lower importance to natural environments." No association was found between childhood exposure and vitality, or the use of or satisfaction with these spaces in adulthood.
As Ontario's population is increasingly clustered around metropolitan areas, it is important to recognize the implications of growing in up in environments with limited opportunities for exposure to nature.
If you grew up in the city, were you exposed to nature?
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/r.../05/190521193735.htm
My friend Dr. Emily Rugel at the University of British Colombia/National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health has done research on the impact of exposure to green space (like parks, forests, or community gardens) on stress levels and mood. She found that, though evidence is limited, access to green space has benefits on the well being of the general population and can be an effective component of therapeutic interventions for people with mental illnesses like anxiety disorder, depression, and ADHD.
You can read about some of her work here.
I grew up in a city but had the great privilege of living near a network of ravines and being able to spend a lot of my summers outside the city, at canoe camps or in provincial parks with my family!
Hi,
I grew up downtown Toronto. I guess at the time there weren't a lot of condos that were built yet. My friends/ family and I would bike along the lake shore after dinner, or we'd spend a day at Centre Island. During elementary school, my class went to the island school for a 1 week trip and it was the most memorable experience I've had with nature. This was right before the internet became a thing.
To be honest, with so many building plans for the downtown core now, the amount of green spaces we have is becoming more and more limited. I wish I was exposed to more nature when I was a kid.
Green Therapy advocates -- do you have sites to explore how to promote Green Therapy or what do you call your contact with nature?
A program that may be worth looking into is Mood Walks.
Led by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario, in partnership with Hike Ontario and Conservation Ontario, Mood Walks promotes physical activity in nature, or “green exercise,” as a way to improve both physical and mental health.
More specifically, they "provide training and support for community mental health agencies, social service organizations and other community partners to launch educational hiking programs, connect with local resources, find volunteers, and explore nearby trails and green spaces."
Here is a nice infographic they developed.
I am curious if contact with nature could lead to better mental health which disorders it may have an impact on or if it leads to better resiliency.
I grew up in the 70's an was never indoors, and spent our summers in "farm" country although we lived in suburbs of the GTHA. I was one of those kids who went out after breakfast and came in after the streetlights came on.
It didn't help with resiliency or mental health, but I certainly know how to survive it from the independence of playing outdoors.
I know this video doesn't really get at the research, but sure makes me pause and smile.