Nature lifts when feeling low: Daily high and low awe nature clips decrease repetitive negative thinking and...

Area of Science:

• Environmental psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Mental health research

Background:

• Nature exposure is linked to improved mental well-being and shows promise for depression treatment.
• Awe, a state of diminished self-focus, may mediate nature's positive effects on mental health.
• Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) and dampening of positive feelings are key factors in depression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of awe-evoking nature exposure on RNT and positive feeling dampening.
• To assess the effect of nature exposure on subjective happiness.
• To evaluate the potential of nature-based interventions for depression.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial with two groups: high awe nature clips and low awe nature clips.
• A 1-week intervention involving daily 1-minute nature clip viewing.
• Self-report measures of RNT, dampening, and subjective happiness administered pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant decreases in RNT and dampening were observed in both the high awe and low awe groups.
• Subjective happiness also significantly increased in both groups post-intervention and at follow-up.
• These positive changes indicate a general benefit from nature exposure, with potential awe-related effects.

Conclusions:

• Exposure to nature, even brief and mundane, can reduce depression risk factors like RNT and dampening.
• Nature-based interventions show potential for clinical applications in mental health.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the role of awe in nature-based mental health treatments.