Benefits of nature-based intervention in combating the impact of urbanization on psychopathology in industrialized societies

Abstract

Purpose of review The assumption has been made that urbanization adversely affects mental health, primarily attributed to the lack of access to nature. Our objective is to examine whether nature-based interventions can reduce psychopathology within an urban setting. Recent findings Nature-based interventions are generally categorized as either physical or virtual. Physical interventions engage participants in various activities like passive exposure, outdoor swimming, or physical activities in natural environments. On the other hand, virtual interventions expose participants to visual, auditory, or even olfactory stimuli to simulate natural environments. While most interventions achieved some degree of success in enhancing overall well being, not all demonstrated a significant reduction in depression and anxiety. Summary The review identified a shortage of well designed and well implemented outdoor or virtual nature-based interventions. Longitudinal designs in physical nature-based interventions provided the strongest evidence for reducing anxiety and depression. Multisensory virtual nature-based interventions also show significant potential for alleviating anxiety and depression in urban dwellers. Conversely, brief nature-based interventions yielded inconsistent results in improving mental health. Urgent investment in high-quality interventions and research in this domain is imperative to inform policy and enhance overall mental health in urban settings.