SUSTAINABILITY IN MENTAL HEALTH

Abstract

Beyond mere exposure to nature, sustainable practices such as gardening and urban farming are also important for mental health, providing a sense of connection and well-being, as offered by Clatworthy et al. (2013). Technology has also been used to investigate this relationship, with Bakolis et al. (2018) showing positive associations between urban natural features. Children and adolescents are especially benefited by interaction with nature, with impacts on aspects such as emotional well-being and attention, according to Tillmann et al. (2018). Other studies, such as the one by Bratman et al. (2019), propose to integrate experiences with nature into the plan. More recent research, such as that of Ningtyas et al. (2023), confirms that greater exposure to nature reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Milenović et al. (2018) reinforce that even short-term interactions with nature can have positive effects. These findings point to the importance of incorporating natural elements and sustainable practices into urban life to improve mental health in a society.