Abstract
The benefits of nature for our health have been an increasing research focus in recent years. In the context of a global increase in mental health diagnoses, the potential health benefits of nature have attracted attention. One practical nature treatment is to walk in nature. However, evidence for this practice on mental health has not been comprehensively appraised to date. This systematic review synthesized the effects of nature walks for depression and anxiety, and evaluated the methodological rigor of studies. Academic databases including ProQuest, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Google Scholar were utilized to identify eligible articles, which were examined using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Of 385 articles initially retrieved, 12 studies met all the eligibility criteria (nine pre-post within-subject studies, two quasi-experimental studies, and one experimental between-subjects study). These studies demonstrated that nature walks were effective for state anxiety but not generalized anxiety and the effects for depression were inconsistent. Findings indicate that nature walks may be effective for mental health, especially for reducing state anxiety. However, the quality of the included studies varied, and sample sizes were small, suggesting a need for more rigorous and large-scale research.
Highlights
We systematically reviewed the literature for evidence of the effect of nature walks on anxiety and depression outcomes
We focused on nature walks as an example of a nature-based therapy because they areof these practical aspects are crucial in the delivery of treatment, the mental health effect simple low-risk to undertake and potentially accessible to many people [35,36]
Nine of the studies compared a nature walk with an urban walk, one compared a nature walk with no walk, and one study included the assessment of the outcomes in a typical day that did not involve walking in any of the settings
Summary
There has been increasing interest in the psychological and physiological benefits for individuals of spending time in nature [1]. Some of this interest is likely to have been motivated by acknowledging the damage from harmful human activities on our planet’s fragile ecosystems and a keenness to attempt to reverse the harm [2] as well as from individual experiences of the simple benefits of enjoying time outside [3]. Spending time in nature and feeling connected to nature have positive impacts on people’s mental health and wellbeing [1]. Other nature-based interventions, including walking in nature, have been demonstrated to have positive wellbeing impacts, including reducing stress levels [10]. As for any therapy, there is still a need
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