Reframing nature connectedness as a psychosocial mechanism for youth mental health
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15527306 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Fuling Liu (Dalian Medical University, corresponding author), Zilai Zhang (Dalian Medical University), Yanan Huang (0000-0003-0354-9608, Dalian Medical University), Pengyu Wang (0000-0002-3704-1530, Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University), Zhihua Bao (Dalian Medical University), Yiyue Nou (Dalian Medical University), Zhen Zhang (0000-0003-4317-9701, Dalian Medical University), Hongliang Sun (0000-0003-0202-9141, Dalian Medical University), Yanan Song (0009-0007-8997-9647, Dalian Medical University), Tao Song (0000-0002-5965-3140, Dalian Medical University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Pages | 1781920-1781920 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1781920 |
| PMID | 41918578 |
| OpenAlex | W7136916170 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 95 |
Nature connectedness has emerged as an increasingly important resource for addressing the growing global challenge of youth mental health. Moving beyond exposure-based accounts of greenspace contact, this conceptual analysis reframes nature connectedness as a modifiable psychosocial mechanism in adolescent development. Integrating evidence and theory from developmental and environmental psychology, public health, and social science, we propose a three-pathway model through which nature connectedness may support mental health in young people: (i) emotional restoration (attentional recovery, stress buffering, and emotion regulation), (ii) behavioral regulation (physical activity, digital balance, and sleep), and (iii) social connectedness (belonging, community engagement, and family cohesion). This model provides a theoretically grounded and translational framework for designing, evaluating, and structurally embedding scalable, equity-oriented nature-based strategies within youth mental health systems
Cognitive reframing · Conceptual model · Grounded theory · Mechanism (biology · Mental health · Psychological resilience · Psychosocial · Social connectedness · Art Therapy and Mental Health · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Urban Green Space and Health
Social Determinants of Mental Health
A complex landscape of inequity in access to urban parks
Rethinking the biopsychosocial model of health
Outdoor Time, Screen Time, and Connection to Nature
Connectedness as a Core Conservation Concern
Positive and Negative Emotion Regulation in Adolescence
Psychosocial determinants of health in social epidemiology
Contrasting inequality in human exposure to greenspace between cities of Global North and Global South
Attention Restoration Theory
Stress and adolescence
The mental health workforce gap in low- and middle-income countries
Green Space Quality and Health
Social Connection as a Public Health Issue
The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on youth mental health
The effect of exposure to the natural environment on stress reduction
Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory
The Development of Self and Identity in Adolescence
Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments
Social determinants of health inequalities
The connectedness to nature scale
A brief virtual reality-based mindfulness intervention can improve olfactory perception while reducing depression and anxiety symptoms in university students
Disparities in the access and provision of mental health services as part of primary health care
The impact of greening interventions in school grounds on social behavior and cognitive performance among primary school children
Access to Daylight at Home Improves Circadian Alignment, Sleep, and Mental Health in Healthy Adults
Cultural Attunements and Ecological Wellbeing
Forest Bathing Increases Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being
The Physical Activity Environment, Nature-Relatedness and Wellbeing
Understanding Connections between Nature and Stress among Conservation-Engaged Adolescents Using Photovoice Methodology
Longitudinal Effects of Screen Time on Depressive Symptoms among Swedish Adolescents
The impact of sleep quality on emotion regulation difficulties in adolescents
Do low-income neighbourhoods have the least green space? A cross-sectional study of Australia’s most populous cities
Does spending time outdoors reduce stress? A review of real-time stress response to outdoor environments
The development of emotion regulation in adolescence
Sense of community, civic engagement and social well‐being in Italian adolescents
Socioeconomic status, neighborhood disadvantage, and poverty-related stress
Community-Based Participatory Research Contributions to Intervention Research
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations
Family Cohesion and Behavioural Problems in Young Adolescents
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
The need to belong
Subjective well-being
When everyday life becomes a storm on the horizon
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |