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Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition
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Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 July 2026 | Viewed by 5878

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Duan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Social Work, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Interests: evidence-based practice; intervention; assessment; QoL; happiness
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

In an era defined by unprecedented environmental challenges, the interplay between human behavior, the environment, and sustainable well-being has become paramount. This Special Issue delves into the intricate relationship between our actions, the natural world, and the pursuit of lasting well-being. We invite researchers and scholars to contribute their insights into the complex dynamics that will shape our planet's future. 

This Special Issue seeks to explore a wide range of topics, including the following:

  • The psychology of sustainable behavior: what motivates individuals and communities to adopt environmentally conscious practices?
  • Climate change and human responses: how do people perceive and react to the pressing issues of climate change, and what can be done to foster constructive responses?
  • Biodiversity conservation: examining the crucial link between human activities and the preservation of diverse ecosystems.
  • Sustainable urban planning: investigating the role of city design in fostering sustainable living and human well-being.
  • Ecological economics: evaluating the economic aspects of environmental sustainability and how they affect quality of life.
  • Social networks and sustainability: how social networks, both online and offline, influence the spread of environmental awareness and sustainable practices.
  • Community engagement and resilience: understanding the role of communities in building resilience to environmental challenges and fostering sustainable behaviors.
  • Environmental justice and equity: investigating how social and economic factors intersect with environmental issues and exploring strategies to address environmental disparities.
  • Policy and governance: analyzing the impact of government policies and international agreements on shaping sustainable behaviors and practices within societies.
  • Environmental education and awareness: exploring the role of education and communication in promoting sustainable behaviors and environmental awareness.
  • Health and the environment: investigating the impacts of environmental factors on human health and well-being, and strategies for improving both.
  • Technological innovations: examining how technological advancements can aid in environmental conservation and foster sustainable practices.
  • Cultural perspectives and sustainability: understanding how cultural values and traditions influence human behavior in relation to the environment. 

We encourage a diverse array of submissions that encompass these topics, as they are vital components in the larger narrative of human behavior, the environment, and sustainable well-being. 

I look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Prof. Dr. Wenjie Duan
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

Keywords

  • sustainable behavior
  • happiness promotion
  • assessment
  • intervention
  • cultural differences
  • social policy
  • well-being
  • environmental change
  • climate change

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

54 pages, 4475 KB  
Article
Human Capital and the Sustainable Energy Transition: A Socio-Economic Perspective
by Maria Klonowska-Matynia
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10710; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310710 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 415
Abstract
This article addresses the role of human capital in socio-economic development processes during Europe’s energy transition. The main empirical objectives are firstly to diagnose the overall level of human capital in the energy transition economy based on the original synthetic measure, HCIe, and [...] Read more.
This article addresses the role of human capital in socio-economic development processes during Europe’s energy transition. The main empirical objectives are firstly to diagnose the overall level of human capital in the energy transition economy based on the original synthetic measure, HCIe, and secondly to analyse and assess the variation in its spatial distribution across the European socio-economic landscape, which serves as a foundation for developing a targeted policy typology directly linked to the identified cluster profiles and their specific weaknesses. The general research question is: what is the level and degree of variation in the internal structure of human capital across the European socio-economic landscape? What actions should individual European countries take to support the development of human capital in the context of the energy transition? The research concept adopted also raises additional questions. Firstly, how can the importance of human capital be captured in an economy undergoing an energy transition? Secondly, are there appropriate indicators for measuring this based on the adopted research approach? European countries were selected as the subjects of the study. In the empirical section, taxonomic methods were employed to develop a proprietary synthetic measure of human capital in a transforming energy economy (HCIe), which was then used for the hierarchical classification of entities. The internal structure of human capital was explored using multi-criteria cluster analysis with the k-means algorithm. This approach resulted in a non-hierarchical classification of entities (typologisation). The main data sources used to construct the synthetic measures were international databases: IRENA, OECD, EUROSTAT, and the World Bank. Analysis of the HCIe measure and the clustering of European countries revealed that the key risk factor for transformation is the absence of integrated human capital within individual groups of countries. This highlights the urgent need for targeted investment in health and the development of systemic and green competencies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 1852 KB  
Article
Nature Scripts to Promote Social Sustainability: Monetizing Wellbeing Benefits of Group-Based Nature Exposure for Young Adults with Mild to Moderate Mental Illness
by John K. Stanley, Janet R. Stanley and Dianne Vella-Brodrick
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 9988; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17229988 - 8 Nov 2025
Viewed by 679
Abstract
The mental health of young adults is a widespread and growing concern in many communities, impacting social sustainability. At the same time, there is growing evidence of the value that nature can provide towards improving health and wellbeing. However, there is little research [...] Read more.
The mental health of young adults is a widespread and growing concern in many communities, impacting social sustainability. At the same time, there is growing evidence of the value that nature can provide towards improving health and wellbeing. However, there is little research on the scale of the monetized value of relevant wellbeing benefits from nature exposure. Nature prescribing draws on the growing base of evidence about nature and its health and wellbeing connections, with medical practitioners and/or allied health workers providing a prescription to selected patients to participate in a program that offers interventions intended to improve participant health and/or wellbeing, using a nature setting. This paper is the first to undertake a cost–benefit analysis of nature prescribing, involving a program aimed to improve the wellbeing of young adults with mild to moderate mental illness in regional/rural Victoria, Australia. The evaluation demonstrates that a curated, group-based nature exposure program can yield significant improvement in levels of life satisfaction and mental health in this cohort. Paired sample comparisons and multiple regression analyses suggest that the program produced an increase in mean participant life satisfaction scores of ~0.7 units, measured using Personal Wellbeing Index scores. A project benefit–cost ratio of over four resulted from this. Mental health, as measured by Kessler scale scores, also showed solid improvement, and loneliness was reduced. The unique contributions of nature and of the group-based delivery mode to the measured benefits were not identifiable but the combined effect was evident, improving participants’ likelihood of social inclusion, a major social sustainability goal. Furthermore, the solid program benefit–cost ratios indicate an economically sustainable program, which uses an environmental platform (nature) for its delivery. This links all three triple bottom line sustainability outcomes to this program. Topping up group-based nature exposure, after completion of the six-session, two-hours-per-session program, was important for many participants to sustain benefit levels. Participants emphasized the importance of the program being delivered by trained professionals. Achieving involvement of a suitably sized project comparison or control group through the 8-month program evaluation period to follow-up proved challenging, which somewhat weakens the power of the evaluation findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 805 KB  
Article
Mental Health Impacts of Agri-Environmental Schemes: Insights from Agricultural Advisors in France and Ireland
by Charlotte Blanc, Donna Oldbury-Thomas and Patrick Morrissey
Sustainability 2025, 17(17), 7677; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17177677 - 26 Aug 2025
Viewed by 758
Abstract
Agri-Environmental Schemes (AESs) are widely used policy tools designed to promote environmental sustainability in agriculture. While their ecological and economic impacts have been extensively studied, the social dimension, particularly their effects on farmers’ mental health, remains notably under-researched, despite the central role of [...] Read more.
Agri-Environmental Schemes (AESs) are widely used policy tools designed to promote environmental sustainability in agriculture. While their ecological and economic impacts have been extensively studied, the social dimension, particularly their effects on farmers’ mental health, remains notably under-researched, despite the central role of social sustainability in broader sustainability frameworks. This study explores how AESs may influence farmer mental health, drawing on qualitative data from 26 semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in the design, delivery, and evaluation of AESs in France and Ireland. While some positive effects were reported, such as enhanced self-worth, increased motivation, and reduced social isolation through peer discussion groups, participants also highlighted significant stressors. These included administrative burdens, inspection-related anxiety, and financial uncertainty, which in some cases exacerbated existing psychological distress. Discussion groups emerged as a particularly effective mechanism for fostering social connection and emotional resilience, especially in the Irish context. The findings underscore the need to integrate social indicators, particularly mental health, into the design and evaluation of AESs. Enhancing the social sustainability of these schemes may improve both farmer well-being and scheme uptake, suggesting a more holistic approach to agri-environmental policy is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition)
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13 pages, 321 KB  
Article
Male Coal Miners’ Shared Work Crew Identity and Their Safety Behavior: A Multilevel Mediation Analysis
by Zhen Hu, Siyi Li, Yuzhong Shen, Changquan He, Carol K. H. Hon and Zhizhou Xu
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6762; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156762 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 739
Abstract
Coal miners’ unsafe behavior is the primary reason for accidents. This research aims to examine the effect of male coal miners’ shared work crew identity on their safety behavior. A 2-2-1 multilevel mediation model is established based on social identity theory and safety [...] Read more.
Coal miners’ unsafe behavior is the primary reason for accidents. This research aims to examine the effect of male coal miners’ shared work crew identity on their safety behavior. A 2-2-1 multilevel mediation model is established based on social identity theory and safety climate theory. To validate the model, a paper-and-pencil survey with male coal miners was carried out in Henan Province, China. A total of 212 valid responses from male coal miners nested in 53 work crews were secured, and Mplus was used to analyze the data. Results show that work crew safety climate fully mediates the effect of male coal miners’ shared work crew identity on their safety behavior. In theory, the findings support that social identity brings a safety climate. In practice, the findings highlight that making safety part of work crew norms improves male coal miners’ safety behavior. Limitations and future research are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition)
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34 pages, 2877 KB  
Article
“More than a Feeling”: How Eco-Anxiety Shapes Pro-Environmental Behaviors and the Role of Readiness to Change
by Marina Baroni, Giulia Valdrighi, Andrea Guazzini and Mirko Duradoni
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6154; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136154 - 4 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2025
Abstract
Eco-anxiety is a complex and multifaceted construct linked with engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. However, further investigation is needed to observe the putative psychological determinants potentially supporting this kind of relationship. In line with this, the study aimed to investigate differences between individuals with [...] Read more.
Eco-anxiety is a complex and multifaceted construct linked with engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. However, further investigation is needed to observe the putative psychological determinants potentially supporting this kind of relationship. In line with this, the study aimed to investigate differences between individuals with and without eco-anxiety in terms of their engagement in sustainable habits by also examining the psychological determinants above in terms of readiness to change (RTC). Additionally, the study also aimed to examine potential direct and indirect associations between these variables, distinguishing among the different dimensions of eco-anxiety as well as investigating the putative mediator role of RTC. Data were collected from 501 participants through an online survey. To address the research objectives, both Student’s t-tests and network analysis (NA) were conducted. Moreover, based on NA outputs, a mediation analysis was carried out. The results pointed out that certain dimensions of eco-anxiety (e.g., rumination) are directly linked to the enactment of pro-environmental behaviors. Conversely, other dimensions (e.g., behavioral symptoms) appear to be indirectly associated with sustainable behaviors through readiness to change (RTC). Moreover, the network analysis pointed out that some eco-anxiety dimensions may act differently in support of sustainable action engagement through a gender-sensitive perspective. Finally, the mediation analysis confirmed the role of some of the RTC dimensions in mediating the link between eco-anxiety factors and pro-environmental behaviors. In conclusion, this study highlighted the multidimensional nature of eco-anxiety, suggesting that, for certain dimensions, it may be necessary to target specific psychological determinants to effectively foster pro-environmental behavioral engagement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Behavior, Psychology and Sustainable Well-Being: 2nd Edition)
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