The Impact of Nature on Mental Health: A Study of Nature Exposure and Mental Health Outcomes

Abstract

The present research investigates the relationship between mental health and exposure to natural environments among 250 participants aged 18 to 65 years from Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, three major cities in Pakistan. Within a quantitative framework, mental health outcomes over a six-month period were surveyed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Nature Exposure Scale (NES) translated into Urdu. The researchers asked respondents to keep weekly diaries to record the amount of time they spent in natural environments, including public parks, riversides, botanical gardens, and in the mountains. Results from SPSS demonstrated that exposure to nature is associated with a decrease in anxiety, depression, and stress. The study attempted to offset the effects of socioeconomic status, physical activity, cultural background, prior mental health issues, and other depression/anxiety disorders using multiple regression. Notably, the study's psychological findings were corroborated by cortisol level tests. Qualitative data from 30 respondents, who were interviewed using semi-structured guides, enriched the quantitative findings. Respondents who spent 120 minutes or more in a week in natural environments reported greater mental health improvements than those who had little or no time spent in nature. This demonstrates the need for nature intervention strategies to be included in mental health management in Pakistan.