New research from King’s College London has discovered that areas with a variety of natural features have a greater positive impact on our mental wellbeing than areas with less natural diversity. This study, published in Scientific Reports and supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Wellcome, used a smartphone app for citizen science research.The application Urban Mind gathered real-time reports on mental wellbeing and natural diversity from almost 2000 participants. The researchers discovered that environments with more natural features, like trees, birds, plants, and waterways, were linked to higher levels of mental wellbeing compared to environments with fewer features. They also found that these benefits could last for up to eight hours. Additional analysis revealed that nearly 25% of the positive impact of nature on mental health could be attributed to the diversity of features present. These findings emphasize the importance of policies and practices that promote the richness of nature and species.It is important to protect and promote natural diversity to maximize the benefits of nature for mental wellbeing. This is the main conclusion of the first study to examine the mental health impact of everyday encounters with different levels of natural diversity in real-life contexts. Ryan Hammoud, a Research Assistant at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, stated that moving away from heavily curated monocultural pockets and parks of mown grass can be beneficial for both the environment and public mental health.The research aimed to shift urban areas from being associated with low biodiversity to resembling the biodiversity found in natural ecosystems. By demonstrating the positive impact of natural diversity on mental wellbeing, the study provides a strong foundation for creating greener and healthier urban spaces.”
Conducted from April 2018 to September 2023, the study included 1,998 participants who completed over 41,000 assessments. Each participant had to do three assessments daily for 14 days, reporting on their surroundings and answering questions about their mental health. Natural diversity was determined by the presence of four natural features: trees, plants, water, and landforms.the study, we found that nature within the urban environment has a significant positive effect on mental health. The presence of natural elements such as ants, birds, and water in the surroundings of the participants was associated with improved well-being.” The data for the study was collected using the Urban Mind app, which was developed by King’s College London, landscape architects J&L Gibbons, and arts foundation Nomad Projects. The project was funded by a Wellcome Climate Impacts Award to Professor Andrea Mechelli, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, and the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South London. Andrea Mechelli, who is the senior author and a Professor of Early Intervention in Mental Health at the IoPPN, emphasized the importance of nature in the urban environment for promoting mental well-being.In the context of climate change, there is a noticeable decrease in biodiversity in the UK and around the world. The research findings indicate that biodiversity is essential for the well-being of natural environments and the mental health of people living in these areas. It is important to acknowledge that biodiversity has both environmental and human health benefits and should be seen as crucial infrastructure in our cities.
The study ‘Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals an incremental association between natural diversity and mental wellbeing’ by Hammoud, R. et al. was published in Scientific Reports.
Journal Reference:
- Ryan Hammoud, Stefania Tognin, Michael Smythe, Johanna Gibbons, Neil Davidson, Ioannis Bakolis, Andrea Mechelli. Smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment reveals an incremental association between natural diversity and mental wellbeing. Scientific Reports, 2024; 14 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55940-7