The therapeutic benefits of Nature run so deep that people who spend long periods of time in green or blue spaces as children are likely to have better mental health in adulthood, a new study finds.
Exposure to natural environments such as forests, gardens, beaches and lakes has long been associated with wellbeing.
Now, this study finds that a hefty dose of Nature in childhood makes us less likely to suffer a range of mental problems in later life.
Green Shoots: i's Guide to Helping the Planet in your Everyday Life
It suggests that visits to natural spaces early in life has a long term benefit by improving a person’s childhood as well as giving them an appreciation of nature, which means they are likely to continue engaging with Nature in adulthood.
“This research shows the importance of childhood exposure to natural spaces for the development of a nature-appreciating attitude,”
“This research shows the importance of childhood exposure to natural spaces for the development of a nature-appreciating attitude and a healthy psychological state in adulthood,” said Wilma Zijlema, of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
Myriam Preuss, also of the institute, added: “In general, participants with lower childhood exposure to nature gave a lower importance to natural environments”.
The study, published in the International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health, involved almost 3,600 adults from Stoke-on-Trent, Barcelona, Doetinchem in the Netherlands and Kaunas in Lithuania.
What the study involved
The participants were asked how often they visited natural spaces during childhood, including purposeful visits, such as hiking in natural parks and ‘non-purposeful’ visits, such as playing in the garden.
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.