Nature-Based Solutions and Mental Health

This chapter looks at how nature-based solutions in cities can benefit mental health. It starts by explaining the factors that shape urban mental health and the negative effects of environmental stressors in cities. Then it shows how green spaces — which are already used as nature-based solutions for many societal challenges — also provide mental health co-benefits by reducing those stressors.

The chapter goes on to discuss how nature-based solutions can actively support mental health by creating opportunities for people to connect with nature, encouraging social interaction, and building mental resilience. It also introduces nature-based interventions originally designed to help people with psychiatric illness, using them as models for designing cities that support mental health more broadly.

Finally, is highlights two case studies bring these ideas to life: one looks at the mental health benefits of urban parks in Leipzig, Germany, and the other examines the benefits of street trees in Hyderabad, India. Both case studies were used as real-world applications for a recent conceptual framework that helps put science into practice.

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates the mental health benefits of nature-based solutions in cities. First, factors that determine urban mental health and adverse health effects of environmental stressors in cities are explained. Second, it is demonstrated that green spaces as nature-based solutions for many societal challenges provide co-benefits for mental health by reducing these stressors. It is further discussed how nature-based solutions may target supporting mental health by providing resources for human–nature interaction, enhancing social interaction and strengthening mental resilience. Nature-based interventions that are originally intended to support persons with psychiatric illness are introduced as models for the design of mentally supportive cities. And third, two case studies illustrate the mental health benefits of urban parks with the example of Leipzig, Germany and of street trees by the example of Hyderabad, India. The two case studies were used as application cases for a recent conceptual framework as a guide for putting science into practice.