Hyvonen and colleagues studied the relationship between spending time in nature and mental health. They report that their “research investigated the effects of a nature-based treatment on participants diagnosed with depression. Participants . . . were randomized into nature-based . . . or standard care-only . . . groups. The participants in the nature-based group were offered 12 nature-based sessions once a week in addition to standard care. . . . The observed effects of the intervention on participants in the nature-based group, when compared to the participants who received standard care only, included a greater decrease in psychological distress . . . and an increase in restorative experiences . . . as well as in the self-reported ability to work/study but only at post-measurement.”
Katriina Hyvonen, Kirsi Salonen, Jane-Veera Paakkolanvaara, Pasi Vakevainen, and Kalevi Korpela. 2023. “Effects of Nature-Based Intervention in the Treatment of Depression: A Multi-Center, Randomized Control Trial.” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 85, 101950, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101950