Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/29520
Title: The Restorative Effect of the Natural Environment on University Students' Psychological Health
Contributor(s): Payne, Emma A (author); Loi, Natasha M  (author)orcid ; Thorsteinsson, Einar B  (author)orcid 
Publication Date: 2020-05-08
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1155/2020/4210285
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/29520
Abstract: The present study evaluated the effect of a three-week intervention aimed at improving psychological health in university students. Participants included 200 Australian students randomly assigned to an experimental or waitlist control group, with 42 adhering to intervention instructions. Participants in the experimental group read a story about someone who used the natural environment to decrease stress and burnout levels and to increase their perceived satisfaction with life. They were then instructed to spend 20 minutes each week, for three weeks, in any chosen natural environment. Waitlist control participants received intervention instructions three weeks later. Restorativeness was positively associated with life satisfaction and negatively related to stress and burnout. Experimental participants, compared to waitlist control participants, experienced a significant decrease in stress; however, the intervention had no effect on life satisfaction or burnout. More research is still needed to determine the practical significance of nature exposure on university students’ psychological health.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Source of Publication: Journal of Environmental and Public Health, v.2020, p. 1-9
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Place of Publication: United Kingdom
ISSN: 1687-9813
1687-9805
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 170106 Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 520304 Health psychology
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 970117 Expanding Knowledge in Psychology and Cognitive Sciences
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 280121 Expanding knowledge in psychology
Peer Reviewed: Yes
HERDC Category Description: C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal
Appears in Collections:Journal Article
School of Psychology

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