Time outdoors may level the playing field in children’s psychological health
STUDY: Denker KI and Faber Taylor A, Front. Psychol.
STUDY TYPE: Scoping review
FUNDING: Independent
Background
Children from lower-income and minority backgrounds experience worse mental health and slower psychological development than their more advantaged peers. The research question here: can access to nature help close that gap?
The Study
- A scoping review of 123 empirical studies examining nature exposure and health outcomes across all ages, drawn from three databases.
- A focused subset of 24 studies compared psychological health in children from disadvantaged versus advantaged backgrounds in relation to greenspace or nature-based education.
- Outcomes included anxiety, behavioral difficulties, cognitive functioning, academic performance, and prosocial behavior.
Results
Of the 24 studies focused on children’s psychological health, 12 (50%) found that nature exposure produced greater benefits in disadvantaged children than in advantaged ones. Including studies with mixed findings, 79% showed at least some evidence for this leveling effect. No study found that nature widened the gap. The strongest signal came from school greenspace, nature-based learning programs, and early childhood exposure before age five.
Practice Implications
- When basic needs are not met and stress is high, it can be difficult to make a difference with psychotherapy or medication.
- Nature offers a low-cost way to improve these outcomes, here are ways to get started.
—Chris Aiken, MD
Director, Psych Partners
Editor in Chief, Carlat Psychiatry Report
