International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health | An Interview with One of the Authors—Dr. Marcos Vinícius de Castro

Name: Dr. Marcos Vinícius de Castro
Affiliations: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, São Paulo State University, Eng. Luís Coube Avenue, 2085, Bauru City 17033-360, Brazil
Interests: occupational safety and health; well-being, nature-based solutions; management

“Nature-Based Solutions in Workplace Settings: A Scoping Review on Pathways for Integrated Quality, Environmental, Health, and Safety Management”
by Marcos Vinícius de Castro, Rogerio Galante Negri, Fabiana Alves Fiore and Adriano Bressane
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(9), 1455; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22091455
Article Link: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/9/1455

The following is a short interview with Dr. Marcos Vinícius de Castro:

1. Congratulations on your recent publication! Could you briefly introduce yourself and your current research focus?

I currently work in the field of occupational health and safety as a supervisor at the largest healthcare operator in Latin America. After experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic while working in a hospital, I realized how healthcare workers suffer from psychosocial problems resulting from routine demands and organizational pressure. Because of this, I decided to deepen my study of environmental factors and their organizational impacts on employee health and well-being. Most work environments fail to integrate natural elements into their design, creating spaces without beneficial cognitive stimuli and fostering conditions that contribute to health and well-being issues, as well as productivity losses, which also affect people management and the institution’s revenue.

With this in mind, my current research focuses on the interaction between nature-based solutions and their benefits for health and well-being within organizations. I investigated how natural, bioclimatic, and artificial elements can improve health and well-being by promoting stress reduction, cognitive enhancement, and psychosocial balance at work. Ultimately, our goal is to contribute to evidence-based strategies that align sustainability, mental health promotion, and safer, healthier work environments, offering guidance for managers and organizations that wish to implement nature-based solutions in their facilities and projects.

2. Your recent scoping review highlights the positive impacts of nature-based solutions on workplace well-being. Could you share what inspired you to explore the integration of nature into occupational settings, and why you see this as a timely topic for public health?

The motivation for this research comes from observing the global increase in work-related stress and the growing distance between people and natural environments, especially in urban areas. By witnessing firsthand the cognitive impacts of work within healthcare settings, it became evident that many workers spend most of their day indoors with little or no exposure to restorative elements, contributing to fatigue, cognitive overload, and mental health challenges.

At the same time, current discussions on sustainability and public health reinforce the need for approaches that support both human well-being and environmental resilience. In this context, nature-based solutions represent an important convergence. The evidence from the study clearly shows that exposure to natural elements, both physical and simulated, can have a significant impact on people’s health and well-being by promoting emotional balance.

Considering the current challenges related to mental health and well-being in urban environments, NbSs become a timely, relevant, and scientifically grounded approach for public health and occupational strategies.

3. The review mentions that exposure to nature—even through virtual reality—can reduce stress and improve cognitive performance. How do you see technology like VR playing a role in bringing nature to people who work in dense urban environments?

Technologies such as virtual reality (VR) expand access to restorative experiences in environments where the implementation of natural solutions is unfeasible due to space limitations and structural design constraints. In urban and organizational settings where green spaces are limited, virtual reality makes it possible to create natural environments with a high level of realism, offering landscapes, sounds, and immersive visual sensations that can be experienced in workplace decompression areas.

The studies analyzed show that even brief exposures are capable of reducing physiological stress markers, improving attention, and promoting relaxation. Within organizations, VR emerges as a flexible solution that can be integrated into health and well-being promotion programs or into designated rest areas, especially in settings where physical interventions are restricted.

Although it does not replace exposure to real natural elements, this technology serves as a valuable complement by democratizing access to restorative experiences and supporting mental health and cognitive functioning in strictly urban environments. It has become evident that various environments can benefit from such technologies, including urban populations, long-term care settings, and workplaces.

4. Looking ahead, what are some under-explored areas in research on nature-based solutions that you believe deserve more attention, especially from a public health perspective?

We identified in the literature that there is a concentration of studies on NbSs almost exclusively in administrative environments, leaving aside a variety of occupational contexts that present distinct psychosocial demands. Industrial, manufacturing, and logistics environments are characterized by low levels of natural light, repetitive stimuli, and high physical demands, presenting significant potential for nature-based restorative interventions. Similarly, the healthcare and public safety sectors are marked by high cognitive demands and chronic stress, yet lack studies that address emotional regulation and psychophysiological recovery for these professionals.

In addition, dense urban environments and corporate spaces with restricted access to nature represent ideal scenarios for the study of technological solutions, such as virtual reality or hybrid interventions. As observed in the studies, expanding research into different contexts is essential for understanding the full scope of NbSs and for guiding public health policies adapted to diverse work environments. Alongside the various areas that still require investigation, it was also observed that the field lacks long-term studies capable of evaluating the sustained effects of NbSs, considering that most existing research examines acute or short-duration exposures.

5. Based on your experience publishing with us, what aspects of our editorial process most impacted your author experience?

My experience with the editorial process was extremely positive, standing out for the clarity of the reviewers’ feedback, as well as its efficiency and transparency. I consistently received quick and objective responses. The evaluations were constructive, contributing to the enrichment and clarity of the study. In addition, the submission system is intuitive, making the publication workflow simple. Overall, it was a rigorous, professional, and supportive experience that reinforced my confidence in publishing with IJERPH.

We sincerely thank our interviewee for sharing his time and insights. His research on nature-based solutions for workplace well-being bridges sustainability and mental health, offering evidence-based strategies for creating healthier work environments. We wish him continued success in advancing this important field and expanding access to restorative experiences across diverse occupational settings.