Ecopsychology is a fairly recent concept in mental health. It is a philosophy combining elements of psychology and ecology. The theory behind Ecopsychology is that mental health is contingent upon the health of the environment. In other words, humankind and the environment are part of an interrelated system.
I became interested in environmental issues in the late 1970s, largely because I grew up playing in the woods. The forest was my retreat when things got too stressful at home. I could take a walk down by the creek for an hour or so, and suddenly everything fell back into perspective. So when I entered graduate school for Marriage and Family Therapy, it was only natural that I would research nature’s impact on mental health. When I first learned of Ecopsychology, it was natural that I would become involved in research in the field.
There is a wealth of research demonstrating that nature and wilderness experiences are beneficial to mental health. Just a few examples:
I became interested in environmental issues in the late 1970s, largely because I grew up playing in the woods. The forest was my retreat when things got too stressful at home. I could take a walk down by the creek for an hour or so, and suddenly everything fell back into perspective. So when I entered graduate school for Marriage and Family Therapy, it was only natural that I would research nature’s impact on mental health. When I first learned of Ecopsychology, it was natural that I would become involved in research in the field.
There is a wealth of research demonstrating that nature and wilderness experiences are beneficial to mental health. Just a few examples:
- Kaplan and Kaplan (1993): Study of over 1200 employees revealed that those who had a window overlooking a natural environment consistently performed better at work and gave higher overall job satisfaction ratings.
- Antonioli & Reveley (2005) found that swimming with dolphins was more effective for treating depression than traditional treatments.
- Therapy and educational activities conducted in outdoor settings reduces symptoms of ADD/ADHD (Kuo & Taylor, 2004).
- Nature and outdoor activities reduce stress and restore energy (Sponslee et al, 2004).
- Smith-Sebasto & Walker (2005) found that wilderness survival skills training gave adolescents increased self-esteem and self-confidence, skills necessary for a good education.
- Lazar et al (2005) demonstrated that meditative states stimulate neural growth in the cerebral cortex. Nature experiences have been demonstrated in several studies to produce meditative states (fascination, relaxation, mindfulness).
- Meyer (2001): A literature review of outdoor experiences as educational tools revealed that ‘outdoor classrooms’ enhanced many critical factors of the educational experience, including: enhanced retention, better focus, more attention to detail, less hyperactivity, more relaxation, increased confidence and self-esteem, and better cognitive functioning.
I am currently involved in research into how living environments influence mental health. Since nature has been demonstrated to have a positive influence on mental health, I was curious as to how incorporating nature into our living environments might affect our resiliency.
Sustainable communities are planned communities that make a conscious effort to live in a greener manner. Such communities often incorporate nature into their design. In theory, the more nature that a living space incorporates, the better off the people who live there should be in terms of mental health.
My current research project examines various living environments and the adaptability and resiliency of individuals who live in these environments to see if there is a correlation between the amount of nature in their living environments and their mental resiliency.
Sustainable communities are planned communities that make a conscious effort to live in a greener manner. Such communities often incorporate nature into their design. In theory, the more nature that a living space incorporates, the better off the people who live there should be in terms of mental health.
My current research project examines various living environments and the adaptability and resiliency of individuals who live in these environments to see if there is a correlation between the amount of nature in their living environments and their mental resiliency.
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