Association between Contact with Nature and Anxiety, Stress and Depression Symptoms: A Primary Survey in Brazil

Abstract

Mental health benefits have been linked to human interaction with nature. However, most studies have been carried out in developed countries, limiting the generalizability of empirical findings to other parts of the world. To address this gap, this study was conducted in Brazil. The objective of the study was to assess whether the frequency of contact with nature affects the occurrence of anxiety, stress, and depression. Data were collected between June and July 2022 through an online survey (n = 1186, 1 − α = 0.95, p = 0.05, 1 − β = 0.85, rho = 0.1). Thus, the public online survey made it possible to carry out voluntary response sampling suitable for an exploratory study, with the purpose of an initial understanding of an under-researched population. First, a logistic regression was performed for quantifying the association between contact with nature and mental symptoms. In addition, three groups of people having different frequencies (low, medium, and high) of contact with nature and a reference group, comprised of those who reported no contact, were compared using Kruskal–Wallis and Dwass–Steel–Chritchlow–Fligner tests. This study employs a cross-sectional design and relies on retrospective recall. As a result, the research hypothesis was confirmed. People who very rarely have contact with nature had a 97.95% probability of moderate occurrence of stress, which decreases to 20.98% for people who have contact with nature frequently. Furthermore, in the same comparison, the probability of occurrence was 3.6 times lower for anxiety and 4.8 times lower for depression. In conclusion, the evidence indicates that the greater the frequency of contact with nature, the lower the occurrence of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Nevertheless, the benefits of this contact were significant only when its frequency was moderate (about once or twice a week) or higher.

Descriptive statistical analysis of noticed green areas benefits for human health

“…Studies show that mental health problems were improved if spent a period in the greener areas even if the people do not live near green areas (Kondo, White et al 2021 ). Studies also show that mental health has a signi cant improvement if the nature contact was periodic like two times in a week (Bressane et al 2022).…”

The 4R Model of Mood and Emotion for Sustainable Mental Health in Organisational Settings

“…One approach to dealing with problematic moods and emotions, and thereby to improve mental health over the long term, is to help people better identify their feelings and better understand their causes and effects [34]. Various permutations of this approach have been described in recent research in this journal and beyond [26,[35][36][37][38][39][40].…”

Understanding How Green Space Naturalness Impacts Public Well-Being: Prospects for Designing Healthier Cities

“…As the world undergoes rapid urbanization, it brings with it not only advancements in human well-being, such as improved sanitation, security, education, energy access, healthcare, and transportation services [1,2], but also challenges that compromise the integrity of urban green spaces (UGSs). The encroachment on and reduction in UGSs have been linked to adverse outcomes for environmental quality, public well-being, and the overall quality of urban life, exacerbating biodiversity loss, air pollution, and heat island effects [3][4][5].…”

“…This discussion is particularly relevant in developing countries, like Brazil, where diverse environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors uniquely influence the UGSwell-being nexus. Despite the growing body of research supporting the positive impacts of UGSs on public health, studies predominantly focus on high-income countries, limiting the applicability of findings across different global contexts [2].…”