ReviewEuropean journal of investigation in health, psychology and education2024
The Effects of Nature Exposure Therapies on Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Levels: A Systematic Review.
Review in European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic overview and second-order meta-analysis of nature-based interventions for stress, anxiety and depression.Nature human behaviour · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of EEG, fMRI, and fNIRS Studies on the Psychological Impact of Nature on Well-Being.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Nature-based interventions: a systematic review of reviews.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- A Nature-Based Intervention and Mental Health of Schoolchildren: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2024Trial
- Clinicians' Perceptions of Nature-Based Interventions in Mental Health Care: A Qualitative Descriptive Study from Pakistan.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Development of the Nature Impact Mental Health Intervention for People Experiencing Mild to Moderate Anxiety, Depression, and/or Stress-Co-Producing a Programme Theory and Logic Model.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The 'Nature Impact' feasibility study protocol: a mixed methods feasibility study of a group- and nature-based health intervention for adults experiencing mild to moderate anxiety, depression and/or stress.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2026Article
- Nature-Based Interventions for Individuals with Psychiatric Disorders: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review with Random-Effects Meta-Analysis of Mental Health and Functional Outcomes.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Effects of Virtual Nature Embodiment on Compassion, Empathy, Nature Connectedness, and Symptom Burden in Patients With Psychosis or Depression: An Explorative Clinical Study.JMIR serious games · 2026Article
- Long-term effects of urban biophilic art environments on depression and anxiety symptoms: a longitudinal intervention study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Nature-Based Health Interventions for People with Mild to Moderate Anxiety, Depression, and/or Stress: Identifying Target Groups, Professionals, Mechanisms, and Outcomes Through a Delphi Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Household-level surrounding greenspace as a nature-based intervention for health recovery after occupational injury.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- How virtual urban green spaces influence stress and risk-taking.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Forest bathing (Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Differential effects of forest environmental perception on psychological well-being: the moderating role of perceived stress in national parks.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effects of Forest Therapy on Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Psychology research and behavior management · 2026Review
- From Pressure to Peril: Investigating the Drivers of Suicide Planning and Attempts in University Students Struggling with Academic Anxiety.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Virtual nature, real relief: how exposure to virtual natural environments reduces anxiety, stress, and depression in healthy adults.NPJ digital medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMental well-being plays a pivotal role within the broader spectrum of health and illness, encompassing factors such as stress, depression, and anxiety. Nature-based therapeutic interventions have emerged as a promising approach to addressing these mental health challenges. This study seeks to assess the impact of these interventions on stress, depression, and anxiety levels.
methodsWe conducted an extensive search for randomized clinical trials that examined stress, anxiety, and depression levels. The selected studies underwent a rigorous risk-of-bias assessment following the guidelines outlined in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews.
resultsOur review encompassed findings from eight publications. Among them, two studies measuring cortisol levels revealed significant differences between the pre-test and post-test measurements within the intervention groups. In two studies that employed the Stress Response Inventory, a significant decrease in stress levels was observed within the intervention groups in contrast to the control groups. However, no significant differences were noted in studies that utilized the Restorative Outcome Scale. In the assessment of anxiety and depression levels, three studies employed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, while four studies utilized The Profile of Mood States scale; none of these studies demonstrated significant differences.
conclusionsThe current body of evidence offers limited support for advocating nature-based therapeutic interventions as a primary approach to reducing stress, depression, and anxiety.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.