Nature-Based Interventions for Psychological Wellbeing

Dear Colleagues,

We are currently seeking original manuscripts for this Special Issue, which is dedicated to advancing the science around nature-based interventions to improve mental health. A growing body of research demonstrates that interactions with natural environments—including urban parks, forests, gardens, wilderness areas, blue (water) spaces, and other outdoor settings—can improve mental health, reduce symptoms of mental distress, and enhance resilience across diverse populations. Emerging interventions, such as green prescriptions or social prescribing, horticultural therapy, ecotherapy, wilderness and adventure therapy, outdoor animal-assisted interventions, and nature-based mindfulness, continue to evolve in clinical, community, educational, and public health settings. This Special Issue aims to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms, effectiveness, and implementation of nature-based approaches to improve mental health across the lifespan.

We welcome empirical research (quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods), systematic and scoping reviews, and meta-analyses, as well as implementation and program evaluation studies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of nature-based interventions for specific mental health conditions; mechanisms of action in such interventions; health equity and access to nature; cultural and Indigenous perspectives on outdoor therapies; outdoor interventions to work with climate change anxiety, environmental stewardship, and mental health; outdoor mental health interventions for children, adolescents, older adults, and underserved populations; and the integration of nature-based approaches into social work, psychology, psychiatry, counseling, occupational therapy, nursing, and public health practice. Authors should prepare manuscripts according to the journal’s submission guidelines (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/behavsci/instructions). We look forward to showcasing innovative scholarship that advances evidence-based, equitable, and sustainable approaches to improving mental health through engagement with the natural world.

Interested authors should submit a brief description of their work to the Guest Editor, Dr. Joanna Bettmann Schaefer, via Joanna.Schaefer@socwk.utah.edu or via the journal’s online manuscript submission portal. The deadline for submitting full manuscripts to the Guest Editor is May 15, 2027.

Prof. Dr. Joanna Bettmann Schaefer
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized 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 2400 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.