Spending time in nature can reduce feelings of loneliness, study suggests

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the social restrictions that have come with it, the number of people who have felt lonely often, or always, has significantly increased. According to the Campaign to End Loneliness, more than one million people in the UK have become chronically lonely in the last 21 months.

Evidence suggests that loneliness can have a wide-ranging impact on a person’s mental health and make them more prone to depression. Previous research has also found a link between loneliness and cognitive decline and the onset of dementia. By definition, loneliness is an emotion which occurs because of a “perceived sense of disconnection from others”.

While it largely stems from our need for human relationships, a new study which investigated the associations between loneliness and social and environmental factors has found that it may also be reduced by contact with nature.

The research, published in the Scientific Reports journal, surveyed 750 people from cities in England and Wales at three random times a day. Participants answered questions about overcrowding, how much contact they had with nature, how welcomed they felt by their neighbours and how lonely they felt.

Answers from 16,602 assessments showed that those who lived in overcrowded, densely populated areas felt more lonely than those who felt socially included and had more contact with nature.

Feeling overcrowded increased loneliness by an average of 39 per cent, while social inclusivity cut loneliness by 21 per cent, and contact with nature lowered it by 28 per cent. “Importantly, the combined effect of exposure to nature and social inclusivity further reduced the feeling of loneliness,” the study said.

Researchers said a possible explanation for these results is that natural spaces offer more opportunity to socialise. Additionally, being surrounded by natural elements may enhance feelings of attachment to a place, and therefore could increase perceived social inclusivity.

The data, which was collected between April 2018 and March 2020, “highlights the importance for policy makers to consider measures which would increase social inclusion and contact with nature”, the authors said.

Robin Hewings, programme director of the Campaign to End Loneliness told The Independent that the findings support an emerging understanding that loneliness is also impacted by the safety and comfort of where we live.

“That can be about the built environment, but it can also be about access to nature and the way that makes us feel more connected,” Hewings said.

“There’s obviously no one single solution to loneliness but access to nature isn’t just nice to have, it relates to this human emotion that has big knock-on effects on our mental and physical health.”

In October, a study by the University of York found that spending more time outdoors led to improved mood, more positive emotions, and less anxiety. Researchers found that although those taking part in outdoor activities in a group reported better results, those who spent time in nature alone still reaped the benefits.

“We’ve known for some time that being in nature is good for health and wellbeing, but our study reinforces the growing evidence that doing things in nature is associated with large gains in mental health,” Dr Peter Coventry from the university’s department of health sciences, said.

“One of the key ideas that might explain why nature-based activities are good for us is that they help to connect us with nature in meaningful ways that go beyond passively viewing nature.”