Nature and psychological wellbeing - investigating the role of perceptions and nature connection within an urban context

Abstract

This thesis explores the relationship between nature and psychological wellbeing. It does this within an urban context, examining how people’s perceptions of and connection to nature relate to psychological wellbeing and exploring factors that are associated with an individual’s subjective relationship with nature. First, I investigate how changes in perceptions of the quality and quantity of local urban nature relate to psychological wellbeing over time. Then I build on the concept of an individual’s subjective perceptions of nature to explore their subjective relationship with nature, or their nature connection, and how this relates to psychological wellbeing. Finally, to assist with the practical application of the research, I explore factors that may relate to nature connection within an urban context. This final component aims to address the numerous policy and planning documents which include objectives on nature connection enhancement. Hence, through exploring factors that are related to nature connection this research may help inform the design and delivery of such nature connection enhancing objectives and initiatives. This research used a multi-phased, sequential, survey-based design to explore how perceptions of and connection to nature relate to psychological wellbeing and to investigate factors that may be associated with nature connection. Using longitudinal mail-based survey data from 5,014 mid-aged Brisbane urban residents, I explored the first research question of this thesis - How do changes in perceptions of the quantity and quality of urban nature relate to psychological wellbeing? This research question emerged from the review of the nature and mental health literature which highlighted the preponderance of cross-sectional study designs investigating how objective measures of nature relate to measures of mental ill-health. To move the field forward I used longitudinal data to assess how changes in perceptions of the quality and quantity of nature relate to mental wellbeing over time – which, to the best of my knowledge, is the first time this relationship has been investigated within a longitudinal study design. Results of the longitudinal, fixed effects, two-period difference regression showed that within-person changes in perceptions of urban nature were positively associated with changes in psychological wellbeing. These findings provided justification for further exploration of people’s subjective relationship with nature and how this relates to wellbeing and hence shaped the second research question of this thesis - How is nature connection associated with psychological wellbeing? Nature connection refers to the affective, cognitive and experiential aspects of an individual’s subjective relationship with nature. To answer this question, I designed and administered a cross-sectional, web-based survey of 1,000 adult Brisbane urban residents. Based on Self Determination Theory I identified potential mediators of the nature connection-wellbeing relationship. Through a parallel, multiple mediator model I tested the indirect effect of non-human relatedness and intrinsic values on the relationship between nature connection and psychological wellbeing. The results show that the relationship between nature connection and wellbeing is mediated by non-human relatedness and intrinsic values, which operate as parallel mediators. This suggests that people who experience greater connection to nature also experience greater wellbeing and this may be because nature connection satisfies the psychological need for relatedness and reinforces intrinsic values. These findings provide further evidence of nature connection’s positive relationship with psychological wellbeing and provide support for the cultivation of nature connection among urban residents for wellbeing promotion. Building on this finding the research sought to understand factors that may relate to an individual’s nature connection and hence formed the third and final research question of this thesis - What is the relationship between childhood and adult nature experiences and nature connection? The same cross-sectional, web-based survey data from 1,000 adult Brisbane urban residents was used to answer this question. Multiple regression analysis showed that childhood nature experiences and duration of adult nature experiences have a positive relationship, of comparable strength, with current nature connection levels. To further tease apart the role of childhood and adult nature experiences I carried out a moderation analysis which revealed that childhood nature experience was not a significant moderator of the positive relationship between duration of adult nature experiences and nature connection. This suggests that nature experiences should be encouraged at all life stages if enhanced nature connection is the goal. In summary, this research used a multi-phased, sequential, survey-based design to answer three overarching research questions. This thesis has contributed to the nature and mental health research field through providing evidence of the positive associations between people’s perceptions of and connection to nature and their psychological wellbeing, and through providing evidence on the positive relationship between nature experience and nature connection. This provides justification for looking beyond objective measures of nature exposure to start exploring and disentangling how people perceive and interpret nature and how these interpretations affect the psychological wellbeing outcomes from nature. Similarly, this thesis encourages further investigation of the relationship between nature experiences and nature connection across the life course, as well as the further exploration of other factors that may cultivate a person’s nature connection. Much remains to be explored in this space with key gaps in our understanding of what factors influence an individual’s nature connection, how perceptions and interpretations of nature vary across individuals and groups, across the life course and across diverse types, quantities and qualities of nature. Nevertheless, the findings of this thesis provide a useful basis for future exploration of people’s subjective relationship with nature, the factors that shape it and the wellbeing outcomes that derive from it. With additional research the findings from this thesis may help inform the design of, and enhance the wellbeing outcomes from, nature connection promoting initiatives.