Cognitive, mental and social benefits of interacting with nature: A systematic review

Abstract

Nature experiences have a positive effect on mental health, especially on psychological well-being because nature is perceived as a supportive, peaceful environment, and an emotional sanctuary. This paper aims to review and document a broad range of empirical evidence regarding the benefits of the experience of nature from cognitive, clinical, and social dimensions separately. The findings investigating the social aspects of interacting with nature point out the connective feature of natural entities through revealing hedonic and self-transcendent feelings and modifying the self-other perception (e.g., self-diminishment) in favor of facilitating social value orientation and oneness among human beings. Having contact with nature also extends cognitive abilities by replenishing attention, memory, executive functioning, and learning capacities, and bolstering creative potential. The experience of nature has uplifting benefits on positive mood, empowers psychological well-being, recovery, and relaxation via mitigating stress and anxiety levels. Socially, contact with nature elicits social cohesiveness through facilitating social value orientation, perspective-taking, and helping behavior. Improving well-being via nature connectedness may be effective in decreasing psychological symptoms such as stress, negative mood states, and expectedly mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety. The several ways of how nature contributes to individual and societal well-being are discussed in the light of the literature.

Keywords

• Nature, cognitive benefits, well-being, social relationships