Psychology Research
Clinical Survey:
“Mood and Nature: A Study of Wellbeing”
Research conducted by
Isabelle Ginsberg
Overview
This research provides valuable insight into the relationship between green spaces and psychological wellbeing. By documenting visitors' firsthand reflections on how Prospect Park (Brooklyn, NY) and similar spaces influence mood and stress levels, my project captures aspects of people's experiences that can be overlooked by traditional quantitative studies.
Research aim: I will test whether urban green environments play an important role in supporting emotional health and quality of life. This project also endeavors to demonstrate the power of qualitative research to highlight everyday experiences of wellbeing.
Results
Some highlights from the survey:
* 75% of respondents experience stress at least weekly. This demonstrates how pervasive stress is in residents of New York City.
* A substantial majority (62.5%) have sought professional help for stress management. This suggests that reaching out for help is fairly normalized as a practice among these respondents.
* 79% of respondents spend time in or near nature at least weekly. So the question arises: Does nature really de-stress one given that 75% of respondents experience routine stress? But another way of thinking about it is to ask, would stress be even higher if time was not spent in nature? Respondents’ self-reporting (Qualitative questions 1 and 2) seems to suggest this would be the case.
* 91% of respondents self-report that being in nature helps them de-stress.
Find the full report here.
Findings & Conclusions
Overall takeaways: Stress is a pervasive experience among respondents: 87.5% report experiencing stress, and 75% experience it at least weekly. At the same time, 62.5% have sought professional help for stress management, while 79.2% spend time in or near nature at least weekly. The findings suggest a population that experiences considerable stress while also engaging in two potential forms of support or coping—professional mental-health care and regular contact with nature.
The cross-tabulated data show that among respondents who reported spending time in nature weekly, 73% also reported experiencing stress daily. In contrast, among those who reported spending time in nature daily, 25% reported daily stress. This pattern suggests a potential association between more frequent engagement with nature and lower reported frequency of stress.
Recommendations - to come!
