Beginning in fall 2024, DIS faculty from the Science & Health and Psychology departments will investigate if integrating nature-based interventions into student life at DIS can improve mental health and wellbeing. Nature-based interventions may involve activities like forest bathing, visits to therapy gardens, adventure therapy, exercise in green/blue spaces, and others. This project is inspired by Denmark’s renowned work-life balance, hygge lifestyle, consistent ranking among the top of the world’s happiest countries, and urban nature strategies.
Research assistants will develop an interdisciplinary literature review, design mixed-methods data collection measures, and solicit feedback from both DIS students and staff. The specific methods used will be tailored to the students’ background and interests, but may include surveys/questionnaires, experimental designs, interviews/focus groups, ethnographic studies, case studies, and/or participatory research.
We are seeking up to 6 research assistants interested in one or more of the following topics:
- Student perspectives
- What motivates and limits participation in nature-based activities?
- How do attitudes/values relate to participation and mental health outcomes?
- Tailoring interventions
- How is public mental health addressed in Nordic countries across seasons?
- What would semester-specific nature-based interventions at DIS look like?
- Delivery dynamics
- Do outcomes differ based on who is leading activities (e.g., peers vs. faculty/staff)?
- How can faculty/staff involvement be leveraged to increase student participation?
- Equitable access
- How can the transit system be best leveraged to connect students to urban and rural nature spots?
- What catalog features are most valuable for students in selecting nature spaces? Length of walk options? Nearby restrooms, shelters, cafes, etc? Solo and/or group activities?
We welcome research assistants demonstrating strong collaboration skills, as students will be expected to work closely together throughout the semester. To promote synergy while still allowing for specialization, assistants will conduct a literature review on one of the core topics listed above either independently or with one other research assistant. All research assistants must engage with their peers by attending literature review presentations and providing constructive feedback throughout the semester.
Relevant publications:
Coventry, P., et al (2021). Nature-based outdoor activities for mental and physical health: systematic review and meta-analysis. SSM – Population Health, 16, 100934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100934
Nejade, R., et al (2022). Enabling health outcomes of nature-based interventions: a systematic scoping review. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.03.16.22272412
Vitagliano, L. A., et al (2023). Group nature-based mindfulness interventions: nature-based mindfulness training for college students with anxiety. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1451. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021451
Additional note: While previous experience in psychology courses is strongly preferred for applicants, if you have other experiences relevant to the topic of this project (strong outdoors skills, extracurricular experience, etc.) that you could contribute and you are motivated to research the mental health and wellbeing of students, then you are still welcome to apply.
Related Discipline(s)
This course would also be of interest to the following discipline(s):Sustainability
