Date of Award

3-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Celeste Jones, Psy.D.

Second Advisor

Mark McMinn, Ph.D

Third Advisor

Amber Nelson, Psy.D.

Abstract

Ecotherapy and nature-based interventions have been shown to be evidence-based treatment for physical and mental health. The rekindling of the human and nature relationship helps cultivate a bi-directional, reciprocal circle of healing. The resulting benefit is the increased well-being of individuals, society, and the earth. This study is a meta-analytic review of 13 articles (22 studies) to examine the relationship between connection to nature and various domains of well-being, including emotional, psychological, social, and overall. Eligibility criteria for the study were the inclusion of at least one measure of connectedness to nature, one measure of well-being or life satisfaction, and a quantitative measure of their relationship. This meta-analysis combined quantitative results from multiple studies to summarize empirical knowledge on the relationship between connection to nature and well-being/life satisfaction. A random-effects model was utilized to find one common effect size, showing the overall magnitude of the relationship among these variables. Results yielded moderate to large effect sizes, revealing a positive relationship between connectedness to nature and the various domains of well-being. The findings have valuable implications, highlighting the imperative necessity to reconnect and heal our relationship with the earth in order to embrace embodiment, to advocate for social justice for a more inclusive and equitable world, and to cultivate holistic health and healing.

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