In a world where mental health challenges are rising among young people, nature may be a powerful yet underutilised tool to enhance resilience and wellbeing. Research suggests that connecting with nature can reduce stress, boost emotional regulation, and even enhance cognitive function—but worryingly, many adolescents experience a sudden decline in nature engagement just as they enter a critical phase of psychological vulnerability. This ‘teenage dip’ in nature relatedness coincides with a developmental phase when the rates for anxiety and depression rapidly increase, highlighting a crucial window for intervention.
What are the aims of this project?
- To examine mechanistic pathways that underpin the experience of nature connectedness in the transitional period between childhood and adolescence;
- To (i) develop a brief intervention – based on participatory “citizen science” method – (ii) pilot and (iii) evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness in sustaining nature relatedness and nature-based curiosity in children and young people;
- Explore the link between nature relatedness, nature-based curiosity, and mental health and outcomes and flourishing longitudinally and prospectively.
How are we doing this?
Over 18 months, children and young people between the ages of 10 and 15 will be invited for a school visit to our research partner Eden Project in Cornwall, during which they will take part in guided walks with nature related education and activities. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, we will capture both data-driven insights and subjective experiences.
Our research will consist of three Work packages (WPs):
(i) WP1 will examine associations between nature relatedness, nature-based curiosity, flourishing and mental health/ wellbeing, and hypothesised mechanistic mediators/ moderators;
(ii) WP2 will co-design and pilot a nature related intervention with a group of children and young people using citizen science participatory methodology, and compare its effects with control conditions that involve less engagement in nature;
(iii) WP3 will conduct a longitudinal follow-up evaluation, exploring how nature-relatedness, nature-based curiosity, and flourishing /mental health/ wellbeing might change over time (with or without intervention).
Who are we collaborating with?
This project is funded by NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre within the Flourishing and Well being Theme, led by Prof. Ilina Singh.
We are collaborating with Prof. Stella Chan at the University of Reading, with external partners including Eden Project and participating schools. The design of the study is guided by expertise of the above partners.
