Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35189016›Full record

SynthesisThe Australian journal of rural health2022

Systematic review of quantitative studies assessing the relationship between environment and mental health in rural areas.

Philip J Batterham, Kimberly Brown, Angelica Trias, Carmel Poyser, Dominique Kazan, Alison L Calear

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The Australian journal of rural health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. The Perceived Role of Green Spaces on Mental Well-Being in Adults Living in Regional Communities: A Qualitative Study.Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals · 2025
    Article
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  20. The Geography of Mental Health, Urbanicity, and Affluence.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Philip J BatterhamCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4547-6876
Kimberly BrownCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Angelica TriasCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Carmel PoyserCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Dominique KazanCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Alison L CalearCentre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.

Funding

Australian National UniversityIan Potter FoundationNational Health and Medical Research Council 1158707National Health and Medical Research Council 1173146
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivePhysical and natural environments might strongly influence mental health and well-being. Many studies have examined this relationship in urban environments, with fewer focused on rural settings. The aim of this systematic review was to synthesise quantitative evidence for the relationship between environmental factors (drought, climate and extreme weather events, land use/environmental degradation, green space/vegetation, engagement in natural resource management activities) and mental health or well-being in rural areas.

designFollowing a systematic search of three databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Web of Science), 4368 articles were identified, of which 28 met eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review.

resultsPoorer mental health and well-being was typically found to have an association with extreme climate or weather events and environmental degradation. The observed relationships were largely assessed at area-wide or community levels.

conclusionsStudies examining the relationship between the environmental condition of land and mental health at an individual level, particularly within farms, are lacking. Addressing this gap in research requires interdisciplinary expertise and diverse methodology. Few studies examined the effects of natural resource management practices/principles or biodiversity on mental health. While there is evidence that extreme climate or weather events have a negative impact on mental health in rural areas, there remain considerable gaps in our knowledge of how rural environments influence mental health and well-being.

Indexed as

Mental HealthRural PopulationDroughtsEnvironmentHumansSocial Environmentbiodiversitydegradationdroughtenvironmentfarmersmental healthrural

Identifiers

PMID35189016
PMCPMC9303895

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.