Nature and well‐being: The association of nature engagement and well‐being during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic

Abstract

1. Numerous studies have shown the positive association between nature engagement and well-being. During the early phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, nature engagement changed dramatically as mental health and well-being declined across the globe.2. This study examines how psychological connection to nature and engagement with nature in various forms is associated with well-being during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Specifically, we examine which types of nature engagement (i.e. with nearby nature, through nature excursions and media-based) are more strongly associated with well-being based on measures of loneliness, rumination, pandemic emotional impact and mental health.3. We employed a cross-sectional online survey of adults (N = 3282) residing in the United States, 25% of whom report seldom spending time in nature. 4. Our findings revealed that the psychological construct of connection to nature was associated with less loneliness and greater mental health. Overall, nature engagement was a consistent predictor of well-being, but different types of activities predicted varying outcomes on our four dependent variables. Greater engagement with nearby nature during the pandemic was associated with less rumination, less pandemic emotional impact and better mental health while nature excursions (e.g. camping, backpacking) and media-based nature engagement were associated with greater loneliness, more emotional impact from the pandemic and worse mental health. In addition, nature engagement via media was associated with greater rumination. 5. Our findings suggest that promoting opportunities to increase engagement with and access to nearby nature is associated with better human well-being, especially during challenging events, and should be part of a multi-pronged approach for coping with the next public health crisis.

Birds are not the only ones impacted by guidance to cease bird feeding

“…shown to be better when people are in contact with nature close to home (Phillips et al, 2023). Seeing or hearing birds through activities such as feeding can cause lasting improvements to mental well-being (Hammoud et al, 2022).…”

“…While government wildlife agencies are typically mandated to manage wildlife with public interests—current and future—in mind, these recent U.S. agency recommendations to cease bird feeding overlook the potentially extensive psychological benefits for humans from this activity (Cox & Gaston, 2016; Dubois & Fraser, 2013; Galbraith et al., 2014; Goddard et al., 2013). These agency decisions are particularly problematic during times of public stress, such as in a global pandemic like COVID‐19, when human mental well‐being has been shown to be better when people are in contact with nature close to home (Phillips et al., 2023). Seeing or hearing birds through activities such as feeding can cause lasting improvements to mental well‐being (Hammoud et al., 2022).…”