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Cited by 803Urban Green Space and HealthAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMindfulness and Compassion Interventions

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 46 of the 46 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression

Open access
Berman, Marc G., Kross, Ethan, Krpan, Katherine M., Askren, Mary K., Burson, Aleah, Deldin, Patricia J., Kaplan, Stephen, Sherdell, Lindsey, Gotlib, Ian H., Jonides, John·2012·Journal of Affective Disorders
DOI 10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.012PMC PMC3393816
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Abstract

Background This study aimed to explore whether walking in nature may be beneficial for individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD). Healthy adults demonstrate significant cognitive gains after nature walks, but it was unclear whether those same benefits would be achieved in a depressed sample as walking alone in nature might induce rumination, thereby worsening memory and mood.Methods Twenty individuals diagnosed with MDD participated in this study. At baseline, mood and short term memory span were assessed using the PANAS and the backwards digit span (BDS) task, respectively. Participants were then asked to think about an unresolved negative autobiographical event to prime rumination, prior to taking a 50-min walk in either a natural or urban setting. After the walk, mood and short-term memory span were reassessed. The following week, participants returned to the lab and repeated the entire procedure, but walked in the location not visited in the first session (i.e., a counterbalanced within-subjects design).Results Participants exhibited significant increases in memory span after the nature walk relative to the urban walk, p<.001, η(p)(2)=.53 (a large effect-size). Participants also showed increases in mood, but the mood effects did not correlate with the memory effects, suggesting separable mechanisms and replicating previous work.Limitations Sample size and participants' motivation.Conclusions These findings extend earlier work demonstrating the cognitive and affective benefits of interacting with nature to individuals with MDD. Therefore, interacting with nature may be useful clinically as a supplement to existing treatments for MDD.

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Authors
Berman, M. G., Kross, E., Krpan, K. M., Askren, M. K., Burson, A., Deldin, P. J., Kaplan, S., Sherdell, L., Gotlib, I. H., & Jonides, J.
Affiliations
  • Rotman Research Institute (CA)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
Corresponding author
Berman, Marc G.
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Affective Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-11
Volume
140
Issue
3
Pages
300-305
ISSN
0165-0327 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.012
PMC
PMC3393816
OpenAlex
W2153140199
Cited by
799
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 41 · 2025: 84 · 2024: 82 · 2023: 68 · 2022: 87 · 2021: 97 · 2020: 63 · 2019: 72 · 2018: 53 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 2
FWCI
15.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • Journal of Affective Disorders (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Deep Blue (University of Michigan) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Funders
NIMH (MH60655)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban Green Space and Health
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
Keywords
major depressive disorder, nature exposure, rumination, short-term memory, mood, autobiographical memory, nature-based interventions
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Cities, Depressive Disorder, Major, Major Depressive Disorder, Environment, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Trees, Walking

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