Futurity November 24, 2021
“This study highlights the importance of getting outside for adolescents,” says S. Brent Jackson. “If you get them outside, they can develop that connection to nature, and that could help buffer them from declines in mental health.”
Two new studies link declines in outdoor activities and park use during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to reductions in mental health measures for teens and young adults from middle school through college.
The studies build evidence for the mental health benefits of nature’s medicine—and the potential hazards of restricting access, researchers say.
“This is an opportunity for anyone concerned about the health and well-being of future generations to focus on the power of parks when it comes to mental health...