Mental Health and the Natural Environment

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of natural environments' profound impact on mental health and well-being. As urbanization accelerates and lifestyles become increasingly detached from nature, many individuals experience heightened levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Conversely, exposure to natural settings—whether through green spaces like parks and forests or blue spaces like rivers and oceans—has alleviated mental fatigue, reduced stress, and enhanced overall psychological well-being.

The intricate relationship between mental health and the natural environment involves physiological, psychological, and social dimensions. Climate change and environmental degradation add further complexity, posing both direct and indirect threats to mental health. Unequal access to natural environments can also exacerbate health disparities among different populations.

Purpose of the Special Issue

This Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of the connections between mental health and the natural environment. We explore how interactions with nature promote psychological well-being, identify the mechanisms underlying these effects, and examine how environmental challenges impact mental health. We hope to inform interventions, policies, and practices that leverage natural environments to enhance mental health outcomes by gathering cutting-edge research from diverse disciplines.

Topics of Interest

We invite submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Psychological benefits of nature exposure.
• Studies on how regular interaction with natural environments influences mental health outcomes.
• Research on the restorative effects of green and blue spaces on cognitive function and emotional regulation.
• Nature-based interventions.
• Evaluations of programs like experiential education, ecotherapy, wilderness therapy, and horticultural therapy in treating mental health disorders.
• Case studies demonstrating the effectiveness of integrating nature into clinical practice.
• Analyses of how climate change, natural disasters, and environmental degradation contribute to psychological distress and disorders.
• Research on eco-anxiety and its implications for different demographic groups.
• Studies examining disparities in access to natural environments based on socioeconomic status, race, or geographic location.
• Strategies to improve equitable access to nature for underserved communities.
• Assessments of green infrastructure projects and their psychological benefits.
• Exploration of virtual reality or simulated natural environments as tools for mental health interventions.
• Impact of digital nature experiences on individuals with limited access to real natural settings.
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining psychology, ecology, sociology, and public health.
• Recommendations for policymakers on integrating natural environments into mental health strategies.
• Analyses of existing policies and their effectiveness in promoting mental well-being through nature.

Dr. Curt Davidson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• mental health
• behavioral health
• nature
• natural environment
• nature therapy
• ecotherapy
• experiential education