The benefits of nature and greenery have become all too evident during a Covid pandemic in which many of our movements were extremely restricted.  Research from the University of Michigan highlights how beneficial time spent outside is for young people.

“Our findings suggest that spending time in nature,-which youth define broadly as being outside, being around trees and woods and greenery, can have strong public health implications, given that youth might not need to travel as far or spend a lot of money to access nature,” the researchers say.

“We know that mental health issues are highly prevalent among Americans in general, and we also know that it’s very costly to access and utilize mental health services.”

Natural remedy

The researchers conducted real-time surveys of 1,174 people aged between 14 and 24 to understand how they spent their free time, and how time spent in nature affected their mental health.

52% of respondents said that being among nature made them feel calm, with 22% saying that it helped them to reduce their anxiety levels and relieve stress.  A sizeable number also reported the physical health benefits of time in nature as it was easier to exercise.

Given the positive perspectives on nature it was perhaps no surprise that nearly all respondents said they wanted to spend more time in nature in future.  It was also positive that only 22% reported barriers that were impeding them from actually doing so.  It’s a finding that the researchers believe has implications for the physical and mental health of young people in the wake of the pandemic.

“We know that youth experience a variety of physiological, lifestyle and behavioral changes during this life stage, which may place them at an increased risk of experiencing both poor mental and physical health,” they conclude. “What we also know is that today’s youth are spending a lot less time in nature than previous generations with the uptake of technology likely being one of many factors associated with this decline.

“We feel this information would be imperative in informing community-level policies and interventions that aim to support youth mental and physical health.”