Impact of nature connectedness on loneliness among university students living away from home
The mediating roles of meaningfulness, peace of mind, and resilience
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23309459 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Raina Chhajer (0000-0002-6779-8497, Indian Institute of Management Indore), Kirsten Mcewan (0000-0002-0945-0521, University of Derby, corresponding author), Juhi Goyal (Indian Institute of Management Indore) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 179 |
| Pages | 107429 |
| Publication date | 2026-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cities (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0264-2751 • E-ISSN: 1873-6084 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.cities.2026.107429 |
| OpenAlex | W7170869766 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 98 |
Loneliness is a growing mental health concern globally. Since the advent of smartphone and internet use, urban youth have been disproportionately affected by loneliness. Disconnecting from tech and connecting with nature could be a solution to reducing loneliness. This study explored the relationship between nature connectedness and loneliness in urban youth, examining the novel and potentially mediating variables of meaningfulness, peace of mind, and resilience. A sample of 257 Indian urban youth aged 19–26 were recruited through convenience sampling. Participants completed an online survey measuring nature connectedness, meaningfulness, peace of mind, resilience, and loneliness. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed and the results indicated that nature connectedness, meaningfulness, peace of mind, and resilience were negatively associated with loneliness. Mediation analyses revealed that the negative association between nature connectedness and loneliness was significantly mediated by meaningfulness and peace of mind but not by resilience. These findings suggest that enhancing nature connectedness can reduce loneliness by fostering individuals' sense of meaningfulness and peace of mind. This research underscores the importance of integrating green spaces in urban planning, and supporting nature connection programs like forest bathing, community gardening, or group hiking to reduce loneliness among urban youth.
Belongingness · Loneliness · Psychological resilience · Resilience (materials science) · Social connectedness · Place Attachment and Urban Studies · Resilience and Mental Health · Urban Green Space and Health
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Effects of Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing) and Nature Therapy on Mental Health
PLS path modeling
The experience of loneliness among young people with depression
Nature-Based Social Prescribing in Urban Settings to Improve Social Connectedness and Mental Well-being
Green space and loneliness
The Health Benefits of Urban Nature
Psychological Resilience
Nature contact, nature connectedness and associations with health, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviours
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The Relationship Between Nature Connectedness and Eudaimonic Well-Being
Developing a Measure of Loneliness
Meaning in Nature
Nature connectedness
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The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness
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The Construct and Measurement of Peace of Mind
Measuring Meaningful Work
Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error
PLS-SEM or CB-SEM
Loneliness Matters
The connectedness to nature scale
The brief resilience scale
Problematic Internet usage, personality, loneliness, and psychological well‐being in emerging adulthood
The Role of ‘Peace of Mind’ and ‘Meaningfulness’ as Psychological Concepts in Explaining Subjective Well-being
The mediating and buffering effect of resilience on the relationship between loneliness and social media addiction among adolescent
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The Mediating Effect of Nature Restorativeness, Stress Level, and Nature Connectedness in the Association between Nature Exposure and Quality of Life
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Relation between Psychological Restorativeness and Lifestyle, Quality of Life, Resilience, and Stress-Coping in Forest Settings
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Combating the mental health challenge of loneliness among urban youth
Professional youth workers’ views on involuntary loneliness and its alleviation among adolescents and young adults
The Predictive Power of Inner Harmony on Well-Being
Challenges of the Digital Age
Tolerant greenspaces
Nature doesn't judge you – how urban nature supports young people's mental health and wellbeing in a diverse UK city
Thinking too much
Facets of adolescents' loneliness
The magic of the mundane
Urbanization in developing countries
Study of resilience and loneliness in youth (18–25 years old) during the Covid‐19 pandemic lockdown measures
Examining the impact of a forest bathing intervention on well-being in urban youth
Loneliness, social interaction, and sex roles
The restorative benefits of nature
The meaning in life questionnaire
Rumination, loneliness, and non-suicidal self-injury among adolescents with major depressive disorder
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |