Does exposure to nature really help reduce negative emotions?
You probably heard it from your mom a thousand times – fresh air and sunshine; it’s the cure for most anything.
Now scientists at the University of Houston concur, measuring the impact of mother’s advice on mother nature to find that exposure to nature is associated with reductions in negative emotions.
Given that nearly 90% of the U.S. population is projected to reside in urban areas by 2050, researchers say integrating nature into urban design and public health initiatives is an increasingly recognized national public health and economic priority for improving emotional wellbeing.
“Findings from this systematic review support the notion that nature exposure is a critical determinant of brain health and therefore brain capital. Thus, promoting and maintaining healthy environments is critical to promote and grow the world’s brain capital,” said renowned brain scientist Jose Luis Contreras-Vidal, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director, NSF IUCRC BRAIN Center (Building Reliable Advances and Innovation in Neurotechnology). He led a team of researchers through a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of nature on wellness.
The team examined the results from 2,101 participants in 33 studies combining neuroimaging and psychological assessments during exposure to real, virtual or imagined natural environments. EEG was the most widely used neuroimaging modality across the studies reviewed.
“Healthy populations showed a more balanced psychological response, with nature exposure being associated with both increases in positive emotions and reductions in negative emotions,” reports Contreras-Vidal in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
“Growing interest in how nature influences the brain has driven research toward understanding its neurophysiological impact. This interest has recognized that genetics alone cannot account for health risk factors and that environmental exposures play a substantial role in shaping brain health.” [Continue reading…]