Anxiety meets nature: the role of nature in the relationship between socioeconomic status, anxiety and well-being

Rita Moura; Cristina Camilo; Maria Luísa Lima; Sílvia Luís; Lewis R. Elliott; Mathew P. White

Anxiety meets nature: the role of nature in the relationship between socioeconomic status, anxiety and well-being

Rita Moura ^[1] ; Cristina Camilo ^[1] ; Maria-Luísa Lima ^[1] ; Sílvia Luís ^[2] ; Lewis R. Elliott ^[4] ; Mathew P. White ^[3]
1. [1] Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
  
  Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
  
  Socorro, Portugal
2. [2] Universidade de Lisboa
  
  Universidade de Lisboa
  
  Socorro, Portugal
3. [3] University of Vienna
  
  University of Vienna
  
  Innere Stadt, Austria
4. [4] European Centre for Environment and Human Health, University of Exeter Medical School
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Localización: PsyEcology: Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology / Revista Bilingüe de Psicología Ambiental, ISSN-e 1989-9386, ISSN 2171-1976, Vol. 15, Nº. 2, 2024, págs. 143-162
Idioma: inglés
DOI: 10.1177/21711976241264147
Títulos paralelos:
- Ansiedad y naturaleza: el papel de la naturaleza en la relación entre estatus socioeconómico, ansiedad y bienestar
Enlaces
- Texto completo
Resumen
- español
  Las personas con un nivel socioeconómico subjetivo más bajo son más propensas a experimentar ansiedad y un menor bienestar subjetivo. La acción restauradora de la naturaleza puede desempeñar un papel importante para este grupo, ya que pasar tiempo al aire libre se asocia habitualmente con una mejor salud mental y un mayor bienestar general. En este estudio, pretendemos explorar el efecto moderador de las visitas recientes a espacios naturales verdes y azules en la relación mediada entre el nivel socioeconómico subjetivo, la ansiedad y el bienestar subjetivo. Se seleccionó una muestra representativa a nivel nacional de 946 portugueses. Los resultados mostraron que la ansiedad mediaba la relación entre el nivel socioeconómico subjetivo y el bienestar subjetivo. Además, el efecto de mediación fue más débil en el caso de quienes visitaban espacios naturales con más frecuencia, lo que sugiere que pasar tiempo en la naturaleza evita que la ansiedad asociada a un menor nivel socioeconómico subjetivo se traduzca en un menor bienestar subjetivo. Estos resultados ponen de relieve la importancia de aprovechar la naturaleza como una estrategia eficaz para mitigar los efectos negativos de un nivel socioeconómico subjetivo bajo.
- English
  People with lower subjective socioeconomic status are more prone to experiencing anxiety and poorer subjective well-being. Nature’s restorative ability can play an important role among this group, given that spending time outdoors is often associated with better overall mental health and well-being. In this study, we aim to explore the moderating effect of recent visits to green and blue natural spaces on the mediated relationship between subjective socioeconomic status, anxiety and subjective well-being. A nationally representative sample of 946 Portuguese respondents was recruited. Results showed that anxiety mediated the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. In addition, the mediation effect was weaker for those who visited natural spaces more frequently, suggesting that spending time in nature buffers against the anxiety associated with lower subjective socioeconomic status from translating into poorer subjective well-being. These findings highlight the importance of using nature as a cost-effective strategy to assist in mitigating the negative effects of low subjective socioeconomic status.
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