Rural and coastal natural environments could be more beneficial psychologically when compared to urban green spaces

‘The interactions with nature have shown a good reduction in the stress levels among people travelling to rural or coastal environments
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Asking participants to describe their visit and to evaluate their overall encounter, researchers discovered that those who visited rural and coastal locations reported greater psychological contentment than those who spent time in urban green spaces, such as city gardens and parks. 




It was also found that visits to natural areas of protected or designated status, i.e., national parks, also resulted in improved mental well being.
Researchers found these visits to nature (especially those to protected sites and to coastal and rural green settings) were associated with both greater feelings of relaxation and refreshment but also stronger emotional connections to the natural world.
Interestingly it was discovered that visits longer than 30 minutes were associated with a better connection and subsequently had greater psychological benefits.
Socio-economic status was also found not to be a factor in the enjoyment of nature, demonstrating the importance of providing free/affordable entrance to sites. This will help prevent socio-economic inequality in accessing nature.
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"These findings are important as they not only help unpick the mechanisms behind these psychological benefits, but they can also help to prioritize the protection of these environments and emphasize why accessibility to nature is so important."
"People's health is likely to become an increasingly important aspect to consider as we manage our coasts and waters for the benefit of all users."
The positive benefits of interaction with nature are well documented with numerous studies reporting a reduction of stress levels in participants and an increase in overall well-being in those spending time in nature.
This is the first study of its kind, which shows that different types of natural environments have more of an impact on psychological well-being than others.
Source-Eurekalert