Environment and mental health: empirical study on the relationship between contact with nature and symptoms of anxiety and depression

• Samantha Tomasi ^[1] ; Santo Di Nuovo ^[1] ; M. Carmen Hidalgo ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Catania

     University of Catania

     Catania, Italia

     
  2. [2] Universidad de Málaga

     Universidad de Málaga

     Málaga, España

     
• Localización: PsyEcology: Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology / Revista Bilingüe de Psicología Ambiental, ISSN-e 1989-9386, ISSN 2171-1976, Vol. 11, Nº. 3, 2020, págs. 319-341
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1080/21711976.2020.1778388
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Ambiente y salud mental: estudio empírico sobre la relación entre contacto con la naturaleza, síntomas de ansiedad y de depresión
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Dialnet Métricas: 2 Citas
• Resumen
  • español

    El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido investigar la relación entre ambiente y salud mental, en particular entre contacto con la naturaleza y presencia de bienestar, satisfacción con la vida, características de personalidad, síntomas de ansiedad y de depresión. La muestra fue compuesta por 59 pacientes entre 18 y 70 años, 29 de nacionalidad española y 30 italianos. Fueron utilizadas las siguientes pruebas: un cuestionario sobre la frecuencia de actividades realizadas en el medio natural, el Five Factor Inventory, el Stait-Trait Anxiety Inventory, el Beck Depression Inventory II, la Satisfaction With Life Scale y la Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. Todas las variables fueron analizadas con el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson excepto el nivel de estudio, analizado con la correlación de Spearman. Los resultados sugieren que el contacto con la naturaleza afecta positivamente al bienestar y la satisfacción con la vida y que hay una correlación negativa entre contacto con la naturaleza y síntomas de ansiedad y de depresión.

  • English

    This paper sets out to investigate the relationship between environment and mental health, and specifically between contact with nature and the presence of well-being, satisfaction with life, personality traits and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The sample comprised 59 people aged 18 to 70, and included 29 subjects from Spain and 30 from Italy. The following tests were utilized: a questionnaire about the frequency of activities carried out in natural surroundings, the Five Factor Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory II, the Satisfaction With Life Scale and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale. All variables were analysed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with the exception of level of education, which was analysed using Spearman’s coefficient. The results suggest that contact with nature positively affects well-being and satisfaction with life, and that there is a negative correlation between contact with nature and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

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