The potentiality of nature to tug at our heartstrings: an exploratory inquiry into supportive affordances for emotion-focused family therapy in the outdoors

A wealth of studies demonstrate the associations between nature contact and well-being, and gradually, nature-based solutions are becoming more widespread in mental health care and recovery. While emotion-focused therapies generally show promising results, evidence of nature-based family therapy is still scarce. In a forthcoming clinical trial at Sørlandet hospital in Southern Norway, we will compare indoor and outdoor provision of emotion-focused multi-family therapy. The foundation of emotion-focused therapeutic work with families is a deep belief in the healing powers of families, where resources within the “ecosystem” of a given family can be reactivated and nudged towards establishing a greater sense of harmony and connectedness over time. According to a Gibsonian understanding of affordances, humans respond to possibilities and limitations within an environment, where affordances in the context of this article arise from a systemic interplay between nature, participating families and facilitators. In this exploratory inquiry, we are particularly interested in the myriad ways nature may influence four core principles in emotion-focused therapy, including (a) emotion awareness, (b) emotion regulation, (c) reflection on emotion, and (d) emotion transformation. In this perspective article, we propose hypotheses and working metaphors in relation to everything from emotions’ multiple purposes to the delineation of facilitators’ accepting, empathic and curious stance. First and foremost, we attempt to generate a preliminary account of nature’s potentiality to tug at our heartstrings and offer a supportive environment for the novel provision of emotion-focused family therapy in the outdoors.publishedVersionPaid Open Acces

Siblings, shopping, and sustainability: Birth-order differences in green consumption

Several studies have examined the role of birth order in shaping human personality, but fewer have tested this variable in relation to other pressing issues. We conducted a birth-order study on green consumption, which enabled us to detect a small-to-moderate effect size equivalent to r = 0.15 or d = 0.30 with sufficient statistical power (N = 335). To capture green consumption, participants indicated their tendency to express the value of environmental protection through purchases and consumption behaviors. Firstborns (vs. laterborns) consistently expressed lower concerns linked to environmental protection in their purchase patterns. While the effect size of this finding was small-to-moderate by conventional standards and in direct contrast to the findings from a recent article on the same topic, these results could still be informative to address challenges associated with climate change considering the number of individuals with siblings in the world and the ease with which birth-order data can be collected.publishedVersionPaid Open Acces

Hiking, indoor biking, and body liking: a cross-sectional study examining the link between physical activity arenas and adults’ body appreciation

Background Body appreciation might serve as a protective factor for developing eating disorders and is associated with participation in physical activity. Less is known about whether various arenas for physical activity may be linked to body appreciation. Therefore, the current study sought to (1) identify potential associations between physical activity level and arenas for physical activity, connectedness with nature, self-compassion, and body appreciation in adults, and (2) explore physical activity level and arenas, connectedness with nature, and self-compassion as explanatory factors for body appreciation. Methods A total of 360 adult Norwegian inhabitants (75% women, mean (SD) age 42.58 (12.30) yrs) responded to an online questionnaire. Instruments included the Body Appreciation Scale, the Connectedness with Nature Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale. Results The percentage of participants who engaged in various physical activity arenas were 98.5% for nature, 57.5% for fitness centers, and 43.0% for organized sports. Small, positive associations were found between body appreciation and the frequency of using fitness centers and nature as physical activity arenas. Self-compassion, connectedness with nature, and frequency of using fitness centers and nature as physical activity arenas explained 39% of the variance in body appreciation. Discussion The importance of both fitness centers and nature as arenas for physical activity to explain body appreciation was surprising and might reflect different use of fitness centers among adults compared to younger age groups. Conclusion Physical activity at fitness centers and in nature were positively associated with body appreciation in adults. Self-compassion, connectedness with nature, and using fitness centers and nature as arenas for physical activity, were found to explain variation in body appreciation in adults.publishedVersio

With Nature in Recovery: A Qualitative Exploration of Experiences With Nature and Friluftsliv in Everyday Life for Persons With Eating Disorders

This thesis explores and discusses persons with eating disorders’ experiences with nature and friluftsliv, etymologically translated as a free or open-air-life, as part of everyday life recovery. Recent research has emphasised a contextualisation of recovery as processes situated in a person’s everyday life. This has been argued to be an important an validating perspective for individuals experiencing mental health challenges, defining them as persons, not by their symptoms or diagnoses. However, the prevailing approach to eating disorder recovery remains influenced largely by clinical perspectives and diagnostic frameworks. To broaden the understanding of what recovery processes for persons living and dealing with eating disorder recovery may entail, researchers must emphasise the first-person accounts of lived experiences and focus on identifying supportive strategies for daily life. Along with growing global concern related to mental health challenges, interaction with nature has received increased attention with regard to health promotion and recovery. Although the benefits of a healthy relationship with nature are promising, further research is needed to elucidate the qualities of human–nature engagement. Moreover, while much research has centred on various outdoor therapies (such as adventure therapy and wilderness therapy), there is limited knowledge highlighting experiences with nature and friluftsliv as part of mental health and recovery processes for persons with eating disorders in non-clinical, everyday settings. This research project is influenced by a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. In addition, the project has involved collaboration with a competence group, consisting of six persons with experiences with eating disorders and/or mental health challenges and with interests in nature and friluftliv, throughout the research process. The thesis builds on an epistemological approach seeking closeness to participants’ descriptions, recognising knowledge as co-created, temporary, and contextual. My reflexive engagement in a process of exploring, discussing, and reflecting has been important. This thesis is article-based and consists of three sub-studies. The first study encompasses a systematic literature review with the objective of establishing the current knowledge base of friluftsliv as part of a person’s eating disorder recovery processes. In addition, the review investigates how friluftsliv may contribute to changes in factors related to a person’s eating disorder recovery processes. Thirteen studies were deemed eligible and included in the review. The findings indicate that participation in friluftsliv supported an improved body image, appreciation and acceptance of one’s body, and enhanced self-esteem. However, the review also reveals the limited existing research in this area, particularly related to perspectives on nature and friluftsliv as part of recovery processes in everyday contexts. The second study is qualitative, based on individual semi-structured interviews and ‘going together’ as method. The aim is to explore embodying experiences with nature related to recovery in everyday life for persons experiencing eating disorders. Eight participants with an interest in nature and friluftsliv, all of whom had experiences with bulimia nervosa and/or binge eating disorders, were interviewed twice. The interviews took place in nature, and the findings reveal how embodying experiences with nature enabled a (re)connection with one’s body. Nature accentuated feelings of calmness and invited engagement with the senses. Moreover, the participants described nature as nonjudgemental and as a place providing room for self-care. In the article, my co-authors and I explore perspectives on recovery as relational and contextual, related to human–nature interaction. Particularly, we discuss how experiences with nature challenge body mind dualism and assert the need for further research to create a holistic approach towards the body in eating disorder recovery. The aim of the third study is to explore subjective experiences of how friluftsliv can support processes of recovery for persons living with eating disorders. The empirical material is based on the same data-generation process used in the second study. This material was analysed again in accordance with the aim of the third study. The findings from this study indicate that friluftsliv encompass nurturing environments and occupations that centre aspects of life other than the eating disorder. Friluftsliv was defined as involving relational processes that facilitate recognition of the participants’ needs, as well as a learning and practice arena for reclaiming control over their recovery and, indeed, their lives. Moreover, the participants described how friluftsliv supported a new sense of self through (re)establishing oneself as an outdoor person. The experiences of the participants illustrate recovery for persons with eating disorders as dynamic processes, including times when the eating disorder could be shifted to the background and times when it felt more present. The findings from the three sub-studies depict experiences with nature and friluftsliv as nurturing environments and occupations that provide valuable breaks from the distress associated with an eating disorder. In this regard, the participants described friluftsliv as important supportive strategies for managing everyday life. The overall discussion in the thesis centres upon how experiences with nature and friluftsliv can be understood as embodied, relational, and related to perspectives on everyday life. The participants’ descriptions of their embodied and relational engagement with nature highlighted eating disorders as complex and multi-layered. Nature facilitated a (re)connection between body and mind. Furthermore, the participants emphasised the benefits of experiences with nature and friluftsliv as shifting their focus to something ‘outside’ themselves. Moreover, an everyday perspective on experiences with nature and friluftsliv recognises the participants’ resources and efforts to support their recovery processes. However, it is important to note that spending time with nature did not necessarily heal or erase the entire struggle experienced. The project participants primarily described their relationship with nature as providing important breaks and a change of focus that were supportive in dealing with a difficult situation. Moreover, the point is not to claim that friluftsliv is a meaningful part of recovery for all persons experiencing eating disorders. Rather, this project advocates for the continued exploration of multidisciplinary approaches to recovery, recognising eating disorders as encompassing broader health concerns and affecting a person’s wellbeing and quality of life. Experiences ‘with nature in recovery’, as indicated in the title of this thesis, contribute to extended knowledge on how participation in meaningful occupations and healthy environments can support persons in living and dealing with the recovery processes related to eating disorders

Embodying Experiences with Nature in Everyday Life Recovery for Persons with Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can be understood as attempts to manage a problematic relationship with one’s own body. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore and discuss perspectives of embodying “experiences with nature” related to recovery in everyday life for persons experiencing eating disorders. The study was carried out in the context of a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Eight participants with an interest in nature and friluftsliv (outdoor pursuits), and with experiences with bulimia nervosa and/or binge-eating disorders, were interviewed twice. Interviews took place in nature, in combination with a “going together” method. The results reveal how the participants highlighted experiences with nature as accentuating feelings of calmness and an engagement of the senses. Participants described nature as a non-judgmental environment that also provided room for self-care. This article explores the implications of everyday life perspectives on nature in recovery, as well as of an integrated focus on body and mind in experiences with eating disorders. The article concludes with an emphasis on how participant’s embodying experiences with nature enabled a (re)connection with one’s own bod

Shifting the eating disorder into the background—Friluftsliv as facilitating supportive strategies in everyday life recovery

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore subjective experiences of howfriluftsliv can support processes of recovery for persons living with eating disorders. Eight participants with experiences with bulimia nervosa and/or binge-eating disorders, and with interests in nature and friluftsliv were interviewed twice, using ‘going together’ and semi-structured interviews as data generation method. The results reveal how friluftsliv, byencompassing relational processes, facilitated opportunities to recognize one’s personal needs—for instance, choosing to be social or to be by oneself. Friluftsliv was described as a learning and practice arena for reclaiming control over one’s recovery and life. Furthermore, the participants demonstrated how (re)establishing oneself as an outdoor person supported the development of a new sense of self. The article concludes with an emphasis on how friluftsliv was experienced as comprising nurturing occupations and environments that enabled other aspects of one’s life than the eating disorder to be prominent

Hiking, indoor biking, and body liking: a cross-sectional study examining the link between physical activity arenas and adults’ body appreciation

Background Body appreciation might serve as a protective factor for developing eating disorders and is associated with participation in physical activity. Less is known about whether various arenas for physical activity may be linked to body appreciation. Therefore, the current study sought to (1) identify potential associations between physical activity level and arenas for physical activity, connectedness with nature, self-compassion, and body appreciation in adults, and (2) explore physical activity level and arenas, connectedness with nature, and self-compassion as explanatory factors for body appreciation. Methods A total of 360 adult Norwegian inhabitants (75% women, mean (SD) age 42.58 (12.30) yrs) responded to an online questionnaire. Instruments included the Body Appreciation Scale, the Connectedness with Nature Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale. Results The percentage of participants who engaged in various physical activity arenas were 98.5% for nature, 57.5% for fitness centers, and 43.0% for organized sports. Small, positive associations were found between body appreciation and the frequency of using fitness centers and nature as physical activity arenas. Self-compassion, connectedness with nature, and frequency of using fitness centers and nature as physical activity arenas explained 39% of the variance in body appreciation. Discussion The importance of both fitness centers and nature as arenas for physical activity to explain body appreciation was surprising and might reflect different use of fitness centers among adults compared to younger age groups. Conclusion Physical activity at fitness centers and in nature were positively associated with body appreciation in adults. Self-compassion, connectedness with nature, and using fitness centers and nature as arenas for physical activity, were found to explain variation in body appreciation in adults

Exposure and Connectedness to Natural Environments: An Examination of the Measurement Invariance of the Nature Exposure Scale (NES) and Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) Across 65 Nations, 40 Languages, Gender Identities, and Age Groups

International audienceDetachment from nature is contributing to the environmental crisis and reversing this trend requires detailed monitoring and targeted interventions to reconnect people to nature. Most tools measuring nature exposure and attachment were developed in high-income countries and little is known about their robustness across national and linguistic groups. Therefore, we used data from the Body Image in Nature Survey to assess measurement invariance of the Nature Exposure Scale (NES) and the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups (N = 56,968). While multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) of the NES supported full scalar invariance across gender identities and age groups, only partial scalar invariance was supported across national and linguistic groups. MG-CFA of the CNS also supported full scalar invariance across gender identities and age groups, but only partial scalar invariance of a 7-item version of the CNS across national and linguistic groups. Nation-level associations between NES and CNS scores were negligible, likely reflecting a lack of conceptual clarity over what the NES is measuring. Individual-level associations between both measures and sociodemographic variables were weak. Findings suggest that the CNS-7 may be a useful tool to measure nature connectedness globally, but measures other than the NES may be needed to capture nature exposure cross-culturally