What If Mother Nature Is The Way To Resilience?

Jul 15, 2019 | Mental health, Zeina Moukarzel

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By Zeina Moukarzel

MD-Anesthesiologist, Critical Care Physician, General Physician, Addiction Medicine

Photo Jezzine, Lebanon, credit: Shermine Wardé

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Youth’s well-being, mental health, suicide, burn-out are nowadays major global public health concerns. Stressful life, imbalance life/work and inability to manage situations and reach resilience are among the reasons triggering risky behaviors.

In Lebanon, 26.1 % of adolescents aged 11 to 17 years are diagnosed- in a given year- with a psychiatric disorder*

Number of research have identified the role of natural environment in recovery from chronic stress, treating depression and growing resilience.

Living close to nature: “forest bathing” has beneficial health effects
Gardening: no more doubt about the effects on gardening on well-being
Walking on sunshine: good for physical health; Evidence suggesting the walking benefits on mental health is growing, however more studies are needed to evaluate the outcomes
Walking groups: effective and safe with good adherence and wide-ranging health benefits. “They could be a promising intervention as an adjunct to other healthcare or as a proactive health-promoting activity”
Participation in environmental enhancement and conservation activities: perceived benefits from the participants; however, no quantitative evidence of positive effects on health and well-being. More studies are needed