Promoting the Wellness of Mind, Body, and Spirit Through Experiences with Nature

Transcription

1 Promoting the Wellness of Mind, Body, and Spirit Through Experiences with Nature Steven R Hawks, EdD, MBA, Professor of Health Education and Promotion Why this matters to me personally Presentation Outline Research findings Theoretical perspectives Practice and implementation strategies Childhood reflections The daily run What Does the Research Say? Context and definitions Optimum dose of nature Research settings Wellness variables of interest Notable outcomes Gaps in the research findings 1

2 So, what exactly is a Nature Experience? Well it s complicated it depends on Setting Engagement Impact on Senses Components Urban Greenery Nature Images Sights Trees City Parks Window Views Sounds Rocks Countryside Presence in Nature Smell Water Nature Preserves National Parks Active Engagement Touch Wildlife/Pets Wilderness Adventure/Survival Taste Vegetation Useful Definitions Term Nature Nature Experience Nature Engagement Nature Connectedness Definition Areas containing elements of living systems that include plants and nonhuman animals across a range of scales and degrees of human management from a small urban park to pristine wilderness. Time spent being physically present within, or viewing from afar, landscapes (or images of these landscapes) that contain elements from the above category. The distinction between physical and visual contact with nature may be important. Active movement that creates meaningful contact with nature: walking, hiking, running, climbing, cycling, etc. in a natural setting. Sense of belonging or relatedness to nature. Emotional connection to nature. Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Daily GC. The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Feb 10;1249(1): What Dose of Nature is Optimal? Barton J, Pretty J. What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environ Sci Technol May 15;44(10):

3 5/23/2018 Beatley, Tim. TNOC Encore: Exploring the Nature Pyramid. The Nature of Cities (blog), August 2, The Research Focus (so far) Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Daily GC. The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Feb 10;1249(1): What Outcomes Have Been Measured? Cognition Affect Stress Immune Conditions Attention Feeling Good Blood Pressure Immunoglobulin A Heart Disease Concentration Functioning Well Cortisol NK Cell Activity Cancer Memory Social Support Adrenalin T-Cell Numbers ADHD Creativity Negative Affect Amylase White Blood Cells Obesity 3

4 Health Benefits of Exposure to Nature Bowler, Diana E., Lisette M. Buyung-Ali, Teri M. Knight, and Andrew S. Pullin. A Systematic Review of Evidence for the Added Benefits to Health of Exposure to Natural Environments. BMC Public Health 10 (August 4, 2010): 456. Cautionary Notes To date, most nature intervention research has not met the gold standard of broad sampling, random assignment, strong control groups, and longitudinal data collection. Capaldi, et. al., 2015 The extant research does describe an array of benefits of contact with nature, and evidence regarding some benefits is strong; however, some findings indicate caution is needed in applying beliefs about those benefits, and substantial gaps in knowledge remain. Hartig, et. al., 2014 Overall, the studies are suggestive that natural environments may have direct and positive impacts on well-being, but support the need for investment in further research on this question to understand the general significance for public health. Bowler, et. al., 2010 Evidence suggests that contact with nature has a small effect on health and well-being in comparison to structural characteristics such as income, employment, or education, and behavioral characteristics such as smoking However, a small beneficial effect on a large number of people is a large contribution to population health. Hartig et. al., 2014 Nature Wellness Spirit Theory Proposed theoretical frameworks Personal experience Model of relationships 4

5 5/23/2018 What is the Wellness Promoting Mechanism? Theory Theorist Definition Transcendentalism Eudaimonic Well-Being Henry David Thoreau Ralph Waldo Emerson Nature allows us to connect with our inner spirit (faith, meaning, purpose). Spirituality, Awe, Mystery Biophilia Edward O. Wilson Stephen R. Kellert Humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. Human Development Various Being in nature stimulates the senses and promotes healthy development in children and adults. Promotion of Healthy Behaviors Terry Hartig, et. al. Being in nature encourages social contact, higher levels of physical activity, etc. Stress Reduction Theory (SRT) Roger Ulrich Reduction in stress during experience of natural stimuli as measured through physiological responses. Attention Restoration Theory (ART) Stephen and Rachel Kaplan Recovery from directed attention fatigue enhances cognitive processes and responses. Nature Connectedness: Belonging, Relatedness, Community F. Stephan Mayer Cynthia M. Frantz, et. al. The level of emotional connection to nature mediates mood and other aspects of cognitive function. Adapted from: Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Daily GC. The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Feb 10;1249(1): Theory Group Discussion How important is it for your well being to have nature experiences? What (if any) is the wellness benefit of your nature experiences? What role do feelings and perceptions play in your wellness response? How strong/important is your sense of nature connectedness? Is the quality of your wellness response to nature different based on: Level of engagement: viewing images, presence, active engagement, etc.? Type of nature setting: urban greenery, city parks, countryside, wilderness, etc.? How the your senses are impacted: smell, sounds, touch, etc. Natural components of the environment: water, rocks, trees, wildlife, etc.? Which theory best explains the value of your nature experiences? 5

6 Implementing Nature Based Interventions Population based examples Implementation discussion Strategies Population Based Examples Intervention David Suzuki Foundation 30x30 Nature Challenge Canadian Mental Health Association: Mood Walks Initiative Forest and Nature Schools Every Kid in a Park Initiative No Child Left Inside Initiative Overview Canada, 2012: Spend 30 minutes per day in nature during May Trains mental health organizations in Ontario to launch nature hike programs. Partners with Conservation Ontario, Hike Ontario Children spend significant time in nature during school day: encourages inquiry, play-based, child-directed learning U.S., 2015: free family admission to national parks for one year U.S.; Promotes the enhancement of environmental literacy between kindergarten and 12th grade and fostering of understanding, analysis, and solutions to environmental challenges 6

7 Specific Recommendations Health Promotion Strategies Partnerships: form partnerships between health and environment sectors, at national and local levels, toward a sustainable socio-ecological approach to health promotion. Education: promote understanding of the health and well-being benefits of viewing and being in nature through media and community projects that raise public awareness; promote contact with nature in schools, for example through curriculum development; encourage workplaces, schools and housing developments to provide access to nature. Training: train teachers, health workers and administrators of public natural spaces (including park staff) to facilitate nature encounters. Adapted From: Maller, C., Townsend, M., Pryor, A., Brown, P., & St Leger, L. (2006). Healthy nature healthy people: contact with nature as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promotion International, 21(1), Barriers to Nature Connectedness Tiredness Preexisting negative emotions Lack of mindfulness Distraction, inadequate perception of surroundings Discomfort, anxiety, fear Limited concept of selfhood (excluding nature) Unopen to spiritual connection with nature Mindful-Affective-Perception-Imagination in-nature Place familiarization: a brief assessment of a place s natural characteristics. Meditation: a 5 10 minute breathing-focused meditation to calm the mind and heart, become aware of the physical and mental states, and become present. Sound mapping: the participant recorded each sound in the soundscape, mapping its source, direction, and distance. Listening: one sound or the entire soundscape was selected and engaged mindfully with an attitude of care, respect, and curiosity. Vision: a scanning vision was used to identify any potential objects of interest. Once an object was selected, the participant focused his or her attention on it mindfully. Touch: an object of interest was selected, and it was caringly touched, held, stroked, and/or caressed. Connecting: engage and connect with a particular object or landscape feature, using the senses, imagination, visualization, dialogue, intuition, and the use of emotional outreaching... 7

8 MAPIN Insights It is important to create physical and psychological distance from the outside world; The immersive experience led to a sense of peace, calmness, gentleness & love; One needs to be patient, to just sit and observe to feel more connected; I observed new things by being mindful, which helped raise my awareness of perceptions; Memories of previous joyful times in nature unlocked emotions. White, Peter R. Enhancing the Experience of Connection With Nature: Participants Responses to the MAPIN Strategy. Ecopsychology 4, no. 4 (December 1, 2012): Group Discussion: Implementation How do we integrate nature engagement into our own lives? What theoretical orientation makes the most sense? How do we acknowledge and address barriers to nature engagement? As wellness professionals, how do we promote nature engagement? Target populations Settings/Dose Conditions (stress, anxiety, loneliness, CVD, cancer, cognitive function, etc.) Age, gender, diversity, accessibility, etc. Upstream, midstream, or downstream approaches Evaluation of Nature Engagement Strategies Quantitative Research Qualitative research Bibliography Atchley RA, Strayer DL, Atchley P. Creativity in the Wild: Improving Creative Reasoning through Immersion in Natural Settings. PLOS ONE Dec 12;7(12):e Barton J, Pretty J. What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environ Sci Technol May 15;44(10): Beatley T. TNOC Encore: Exploring the Nature Pyramid [Internet]. The Nature of Cities [cited 2018 Mar 5]. Available from: Berger R, McLeod J. Incorporating Nature into Therapy: A Framework for Practice. Journal of Systemic Therapies Jan 1;25(2): Bowler DE, Buyung-Ali LM, Knight TM, Pullin AS. A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health Aug 4;10:456. Bratman GN, Hamilton JP, Daily GC. The impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences Feb 10;1249(1): Brymer E, Davids K, Mallabon L. Understanding the Psychological Health and Well-Being Benefits of Physical Activity in Nature: An Ecological Dynamics Analysis. Ecopsychology Sep 1;6(3): Capaldi CA, Passmore H-A, Nisbet EK, Zelenski JM, Dopko RL. Flourishing in nature: A review of the benefits of connecting with nature and its application as a wellbeing intervention. International Journal of Wellbeing Dec 17;5(4):1-16. Cervinka R, Röderer K, Hefler E. Are nature lovers happy? On various indicators of well-being and connectedness with nature. J Health Psychol Apr 1;17(3): de Vries S, Verheij RA, Groenewegen PP, Spreeuwenberg P. Natural Environments Healthy Environments? An Exploratory Analysis of the Relationship between Greenspace and Health. Environ Plan A Oct 1;35(10): Hartig T, Mitchell R, de Vries S, Frumkin H. Nature and Health. Annu Rev Public Health Mar 18;35(1): Howell AJ, Dopko RL, Passmore H-A, Buro K. Nature connectedness: Associations with well-being and mindfulness. Personality and Individual Differences Jul 1;51(2): Kabisch N, van den Bosch M, Lafortezza R. The health benefits of nature-based solutions to urbanization challenges for children and the elderly A systematic review. Environmental Research Nov 1;159(Supplement C): Kamitsis I, Francis AJP. Spirituality mediates the relationship between engagement with nature and psychological wellbeing. Journal of Environmental Psychology Dec 1;36(Supplement C): Kaplan S. The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology Sep 1;15(3): Lachowycz K, Jones AP. Towards a better understanding of the relationship between greenspace and health: Development of a theoretical framework. Landscape and Urban Planning Oct 1;118(Supplement C):62 9. Maller C, Townsend M, Pryor A, Brown P, St Leger L. Healthy nature healthy people: contact with nature as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations. Health Promot Int Mar 1;21(1): Mayer FS, Frantz CM. The connectedness to nature scale: A measure of individuals feeling in community with nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology Dec 1;24(4): Mayer FS, Frantz CM, Bruehlman-Senecal E, Dolliver K. Why Is Nature Beneficial?: The Role of Connectedness to Nature. Environment and Behavior Sep 1;41(5): St Leger L. Health and nature new challenges for health promotion. Health Promot Int Sep 1;18(3): Stigsdotter UK, Ekholm O, Schipperijn J, Toftager M, Kamper-Jørgensen F, Randrup TB. Health promoting outdoor environments - Associations between green space, and health, health-related quality of life and stress based on a Danish national representative survey. Scand J Public Health Jun 1;38(4): Ulrich RS. Visual landscapes and psychological well-being. Landscape Research Mar 1;4(1): White PR. Enhancing the Experience of Connection With Nature: Participants Responses to the MAPIN Strategy. Ecopsychology Dec 1;4(4):

9 Interesting Reads Thank you! 9