A secondary analysis of data collected in 75 countries found that connection to nature is a robust predictor of happiness. Connection with nature was found to be associated with various aspects of well-being. The paper was published in. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
The relationship between humans and nature is an important component of both human health and environmental health. The degree to which an individual feels emotionally and cognitively connected to the natural world is referred to as nature connectivity. It reflects a sense of belonging to nature, rather than seeing oneself as separate from it.
People who are highly connected to nature tend to experience feelings of awe, gratitude, and compassion when interacting with their natural environment. This sense of connectedness is developed through experiences such as spending time outdoors, observing wildlife, and participating in nature-related activities.
Research shows that people who feel more connected to nature tend to report less stress and improved mood. A connection to nature is associated with higher engagement in environmentally friendly attitudes and behaviors, such as conservation and sustainable lifestyle choices. For many people, contact with nature provides an opportunity for introspection, restoration, and emotional balance.
Study author Lee Barbet and her colleagues wanted to assess the relationship between connectedness to nature and well-being around the world. They hypothesized that this association would emerge consistently across different human groups and therefore be generalizable across countries. They also hypothesized that connecting with nature may be associated with greater purpose in life, hope, life satisfaction, coping, optimism, and mindfulness.
Study authors analyzed a dataset containing responses from 38,366 participants from 76 countries. The researchers ultimately used a final sample of 36,803 participants across 75 countries, but excluded South Africa because the survey conducted there did not include a measure of natural connectedness. Data were collected between 2020 and 2022 through the multilateral efforts of the C19 consortium.
The study authors used data on participants’ connection to nature (collected using a nature relatedness scale, such as “My relationship with nature is an important part of who I am”), various measures of well-being (purpose in life, life satisfaction), and psychological factors and resources related to well-being (coping, mindfulness, optimism, hope).
In general, results across countries showed small and large associations between connectedness with nature and life purpose, hope, life satisfaction, resilient coping, optimism, and mindfulness. Although some of these associations were not found in some countries, the findings generally support the study authors’ hypothesis that greater connections to nature lead to greater well-being around the world.
“Our findings highlight the importance of connections to nature for global well-being, especially for communities with less access to natural and social resources,” the study authors concluded.
This study contributes to scientific understanding of the psychological importance of connection with nature. However, the study design does not allow us to infer causality from the results. Additionally, the sample is primarily comprised of university students, which is not fully representative of the general public in each country, and the data are biased toward the highly educated population. Additionally, the data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have affected the health of study participants in ways not considered in the analysis.
The paper, “Nature Connectedness and Well-Being: Evidence from a Multinational Study Across 75 Countries,” was authored by Lea Barbett, Stylianos Syropoulos, Jin Capozzoli, and the C19 consortium.
