scholarly journals Growing Resilience through Interaction with Nature: Can Group Walks in Nature Buffer the Effects of Stressful Life Events on Mental Health?

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Marselle ◽  
Sara Warber ◽  
Katherine Irvine
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Public Health Promotion ◽  
Main Effects

Nature-based activities have been used as therapeutic interventions for those experiencing stress and mental ill health. This study investigates whether group walks could be a nature-based intervention to foster resilience, by buffering the effects of recent stressful life events on mental health. An observational research design with propensity score-matched samples compared the mental health of individuals who did (Nature Group Walkers, n = 1081) or did not (Non-Group Walkers, n = 435) attend nature group walks. A sub-sample of Frequent Nature Group Walkers (at least once per week, n = 631) was also investigated. Data were analyzed using multiple regression with an interaction term. All analyses were controlled for age, gender, and recent physical activity. Results showed that neither nature group walking, nor doing this frequently, moderated the effects of stressful life events on mental health. Using a main effects model, the positive associations of group walks in nature were at a greater magnitude than the negative associations of stressful life events on depression, positive affect, and mental well-being, suggesting an ‘undoing’ effect of nature group walks. Group walking schemes in natural environments may be an important public health promotion intervention for mental health.

scholarly journals Using Bonsai as Nature Assisted Art Psychotherapy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroll Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Preventative Measure ◽  
Art Psychotherapy

Background: Bonsai integrates relaxation, leisure and art therapy into one medium that can have personal, emotional and commercial value and have benefits beyond the therapist’s couch. The art of bonsai, when used as a therapy tool may affect the capacity of the bonsai practitioner to adjust to negative and stressful life events. Objective: The study was initiated to evaluate the benefit of bonsai on the wellbeing of practitioners of the art. Method: 255 bonsai artists participated in a study that examined the effect of bonsai on their well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with bonsai artists. Results: The majority of participants agreed that being able to work on their bonsais affected their moods positively. Discussion: Although bonsai artists did not report better mental health, participants reported an improvement in their mood when working on a bonsai tree. These findings are significant in that it can be especially useful in settings such as psychiatric hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, prisons, etc., as a preventative measure as well as restorative measures in the well-being of patients.

Positive Mental Health, Stressful Life Events, and Suicide Ideation

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 383-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Brailovskaia ◽  
Tobias Teismann ◽  
Jürgen Margraf
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Background: Stressful life events and suicide ideation regularly occur together. Yet, little is known about factors that buffer individuals against the development of suicide ideation. Aim: In a long-term follow-up study design, it was investigated whether positive mental health, that is, high levels of subjective and psychological well-being, buffers the association between stressful life events and suicide ideation. Method: A total of 126 German students (80.2% female; age: M = 24.29, SD = 5.21) were assessed at a baseline evaluation and again 24 months later. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires. Results: Linear hierarchical regression analysis was used to analyze the data. Positive mental health was considered to moderate the impact of stressful life events on suicide ideation – controlling for age and gender. Limitations: Current results are limited to university students. Conclusions: Positive mental health interacts with stressful life events, such that those with high levels of positive mental health show an attenuated increase in suicide ideation at elevated levels of stress. Positive mental health seems to confer resilience and should be focused on in counseling centers for students.

What is first? Stressful life events, negative well-being or sickness absenteeism?

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. van Vuuren ◽  
S. van der Heuvel ◽  
S. Andriessen ◽  
P. Smulders ◽  
P. Bongers
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Sickness Absenteeism

Integration of Stressful Life Events and Well-Being Among College Students

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guler Boyraz ◽  
Victoria A. Felix ◽  
Lisa K. Battle ◽  
John B. Waits ◽  
Danita D. Wynes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Life

The Effect of Stressful Life Events and Transitions on Family Functioning and Well-Being

1987 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoav Lavee ◽  
Hamilton I. McCubbin ◽  
David H. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Family Functioning ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Stressful Life

scholarly journals Assessing the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Nontraditional Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being

2021 ◽  
pp. 074171362110275
Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Babb ◽  
Katrina A. Rufino ◽  
Ruth M. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Nontraditional Students ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Nontraditional Student ◽  
Life Stressors ◽  
Health And Well Being

The current study sought to measure how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health and well-being of college students, particularly nontraditional students. Participants ( n = 321) completed a series of surveys assessing their level of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, insomnia, and well-being. Participants also indicated their nontraditional student characteristics, level of resilience, and additional life stressors due to the pandemic. Statistical analyses found that participants reported higher levels of depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and insomnia, with corresponding lower levels of well-being across all students, compared with prepandemic levels. Results showed that while nontraditional students indicated an increased number of life stressors during the pandemic compared with their traditional peers, nontraditional students also demonstrated higher levels of resilience. Nontraditional students appear to be more successful at managing stressful life events due to the increased resilience that comes with age and experience, which can better prepare them to persevere and overcome challenges.

PP21  Perceptions and experiences of employee mental health support: a cross-sectional survey of UK ambulance service staff

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. e10.2-e10
Author(s):  
Sasha Johnston ◽  
Jennifer Wild ◽  
Kristy Sanderson ◽  
Bridie Kent
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Organisational Support ◽  
Service Staff

BackgroundMental ill health among ambulance staff is widespread. Evidence suggests that, with the right support, staff experiencing mental ill health can continue to work, symptom severity can be reduced and suicide prevented. To identify whether organisational support meets staff needs, this research explored the perceptions and experiences of staff working in a large ambulance trust covering the south west of England.MethodsBetween September and October 2018, ambulance staff were invited to complete an online questionnaire, which assessed demographics, work-related stressful life events, related psychological impact assessed by the avoidant subscale of Weiss and Marmar’s Impact of Event Scale-Revised, mental ill health sickness absence during the previous 12 months, perceptions and experiences of organisational support and acceptability of a proposed wellbeing intervention offering mandatory time-to-talk at work.ResultsOver 11% (N=540) of the workforce responded. The majority reported experiencing work-related stressful life events (n=444; 82%), that were associated with subsequent avoidant symptoms. Avoidant symptom severity peaked between six-months to five-years after an event (F (5,438) = 2.4, p=0.03), was associated with repeated exposure (F (4,439) = 2.9, p=0.01) and to sickness absence. A fifth of participants reported mental ill health sickness absence (21.6%), a third of which was not disclosed as related to mental health. Content analysis identified stigma, fear, as well as embarrassment, as barriers to disclosure and help-seeking. Perceptions and experiences of organisational support were significantly correlated (r (195) =0.46, p<0.001) and positive.ConclusionsSymptoms associated with work-related stressful life events can persist for years among ambulance staff. Given the association between organisational support and mental wellbeing, it is possible that an intervention, such as mandatory time-to-talk, supported at an organisation level could improve wellbeing among ambulance staff. Such an intervention needs to be evaluated in future research.

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