Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention

From the increasing number of people living in urban areas to the continued degradation of the natural environment, many of us appear to be physically and psychologically disconnected from nature. We consider the theoretical explanations and present evidence for why this state of affairs might result in suboptimal levels of hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing by reviewing the large body of research on the mental health benefits of connecting with nature. The advantages of contact with nature as a potential wellbeing intervention are discussed, and examples of how this research is being applied to reconnect individuals to nature and improve wellbeing are given. We conclude by considering the limitations of, and proposing future directions for, research in this area. Overall, evidence suggests that connecting with nature is one path to flourishing in life

Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness

a b s t r a c t Wilson's (1984) biophilia hypothesis predicts that people's psychological health is associated with their relationship to nature. Two studies examined associations among nature connectedness, well-being, and mindfulness in samples of undergraduate students while socially desirable responding was controlled. Significant associations emerged among measures of nature connectedness and indices of wellbeing (in Study 1 and Study 2) and mindfulness (in Study 2). Results are discussed in relation to possible mediators and moderators of the association between nature connectedness and mental health

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Deciphering landscape preferences: Investigating the roles of familiarity and biome types

Although people generally have positive evaluations of natural environments and stimuli, theory and research suggest that certain biomes are more preferable than others. Existing theories often draw on evolutionary ideas and people’s familiarity with biome types, with familiarity being the most supported, albeit not conclusively, in existing research. Across three samples (n = 720) we sought to compare preference ratings of 40 images that represented ten biomes (beach, lake, tropical and temperate forest, marsh, swamp, meadow, park, mountain, and river). We addressed objective familiarity by recruiting samples from two distinct geographies (Florida and Ontario), and we assessed subjective familiarity via image ratings. Familiarity was positively associated with liking biomes, though this trend was stronger for subjective familiarity compared to geography. Substantial variation in biome type preferences could not be attributed to familiarity. Specific biome types were strongly preferred irrespective of familiarity and geography. e.g., beaches and lakes were highly preferred, while marshes and swamps were substantially less preferred than other biome types. Further analyses found that the individual difference of nature relatedness predicted both familiarity and liking of all biomes except beaches, and that there was a lack of seasonal effects (fall and winter) across two Ontario samples. We discuss how results provide qualified support for the familiarity view, limits of this interpretation, how methodological choices such as the number of ratings might impact findings, and the potential applications of these results in landscape design

Validation of the Children’s Intrinsic Needs Satisfaction Scale among Canadian youth: psychometric properties, criterion-related validity and multitrait multimethod confirmatory factor analysis

Introduction: Based on self-determination theory, the Children’s Intrinsic Needs Satisfaction Scale (CINSS) measures autonomy, competence and relatedness at school, home and with peers. The factor structure and criterion-related validity of the CINSS in the Canadian youth population are tested using data from the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey (CSTADS). Methods: Data from the 2014/2015 CSTADS were analyzed for evidence of convergent and discriminant validity and for method variance. A multitrait multimethod (MTMM) confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to account for the conceptual structure of the measure. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated through correlations between related constructs, prosocial behaviours and behavioural problems, and the CINSS subscale scores. Mean differences on CINSS subscale scores between those who reported and did not report being bullied or bullying others were also examined. Results: Correlation analyses demonstrated that, in general, correlations were higher between concept/context item pairs and lowest between items measuring different concepts and contexts. Cronbach’s alpha for concept and context subscales were high: α = 0.77 for autonomy, α = 0.85 for competence and α = 0.79 for relatedness. A MTMM CFA demonstrated that the model fit the data well, with no modifications. Criterion-related validity was demonstrated through correlations between CINSS subscales and related concepts or mean differences on CINSS subscales between groups. Conclusion: The CINSS demonstrates good internal consistency, factorial validity and criterion-related validity in this sample of Canadian students. The measurement of positive mental health among Canadian youth is central to surveillance efforts which will help inform mental health promotion activities across Canada

Validation du questionnaire de l'Échelle de satisfaction des besoins intrinsèques des enfants chez les jeunes canadiens : propriétés psychométriques, validité critérielle et analyse factorielle confirmatoire reposant sur une approche multitraits‑multiméthodes

Introduction. L'Échelle de satisfaction des besoins intrinsèques des enfants (Children’s Intrinsic Needs Satisfaction Scale ou questionnaire CINSS), fondée sur la théorie de l’autodétermination, sert à mesurer l’autonomie, la compétence et l'appartenance sociale à l’école, à la maison et avec les pairs. Nous avons vérifié sa structure factorielle et sa validité critérielle chez les jeunes canadiens à l’aide de données de l’Enquête canadienne sur le tabac, l’alcool et les drogues chez les élèves (ECTADE). Méthodologie. Nous avons analysé les données de l’ECTADE de 2014‑2015 afin de mettre en évidence la validité convergente et discriminante et la variance liée à la méthode. Nous avons mené une analyse factorielle confirmatoire (AFC) reposant sur une approche multitraits‑multiméthodes (MTMM) afin de tenir compte de la structure conceptuelle de la mesure. Nous avons établi sa validité critérielle grâce aux corrélations entre les concepts à l'étude, les comportements prosociaux et problèmes de comportement et les scores aux sous‑échelles du questionnaire CINSS. Enfin, nous avons examiné les écarts moyens dans les scores aux sous‑échelles du questionnaire CINSS entre les répondants ayant déclaré qu’ils avaient commis des actes d’intimidation ou qu’ils en avaient été victimes d’une part et les répondants ayant fait état d'aucune intimidation d’autre part. Résultats. Les analyses de corrélations ont montré que, de manière générale, les corrélations étaient plus fortes entre variables se rapportant à des besoins ou des contextes appariés et plus faibles entre variables mesurant des besoins et des contextes différents. Le coefficient alpha de Cronbach pour les sous‑échelles des besoins et des contextes était élevé : α = 0,77 pour l’autonomie, α = 0,85 pour la compétence et α = 0,79 pour l'appartenance sociale. L'AFC reposant sur une approche MTMM a montré que le modèle était bien ajusté aux données et qu’il ne nécessitait aucune modification. La validité critérielle a été établie par les corrélations entre les sous‑échelles du questionnaire CINSS et les concepts étudiés ou par les écarts moyens dans les scores à ces sous‑échelles entre groupes de répondants. Conclusion. L'Échelle de satisfaction des besoins intrinsèques des enfants (questionnaire CINSS) s’est révélée solide sur le plan de la cohérence interne, de la validité factorielle et de la validité critérielle dans notre échantillon d’élèves canadiens. Mesurer la santé mentale positive chez les jeunes canadiens est essentiel pour obtenir l'information pertinente nécessaire aux activités de promotion de la santé mentale au Canada

The psychological and social benefits of a nature experience for children: A preliminary investigation

There are active movements to connect children with nature to improve their well-being. However, most of the research on children and nature has focused on cognitive benefits or used non-experimental designs. In a preliminary study, we examined the potential benefits of a 4-hour nature experience on children's mood, pro-sociality, and attitudes toward nature. Eighty students from an urban Canadian elementary school were recruited to participate in field trips to a nature school and an aviation/space museum. Children reported more positive and negative emotions, a closer connection to nature, and a greater willingness to protect nature when at the nature school. We also found indications that children were more pro-social at the nature school. Although further research is needed to replicate these findings with additional populations/environments, this study suggests that children largely benefit from spending time in nature

Validating existing clinical cut-points for the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in a large sample of Canadian children and youth

IntroductionThe Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), for assessing behavioural and emotional difficulties, has been used internationally as a screening measure for mental health problems. Our objective was to validate the existing (British) SDQ cut-points in a sample of Canadian children and youth, and develop new Canadian SDQ cut-points if needed. MethodsThis study includes data from children and youth aged 6 to 17 years from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (n = 3435) and outpatient records from the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (n = 1075). The parent-reported SDQ data were collected. We adjusted the existing SDQ cut-points using a distributional and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve approach. We subsequently calculated the sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio of the existing and new SDQ clinical cut-points to determine whether the new cut-points had better clinical utility, using both analytic approaches. ResultsOur data show differences in the screening effectiveness between the existing British and the Canadian-specific clinical cut-points. Specificity is maximized using the Canadian distributional cut-points, improving the likelihood of identifying true negative results. The total SDQ score met the threshold for clinical utility (diagnostic odds ratio > 20) using both the existing and new cut-points; however, the individual scales did not reach clinical utility threshold using either cut-points. ConclusionFuture Canadian SDQ research should consider the new cut-points derived from our study population and the existing British cut-points to allow for historical and international comparisons