Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults
Nature-based interventions (NBIs) grounded in mindfulness have been shown to be beneficial for improving mental wellbeing in adults. With increasing mental health challenges among children and adolescents, accessible and cost-effective interventions are essential to enhance their well-being. Brief m...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Psychiatry International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/2/36 |
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| author | Matthew Owens Hannah L. I. Bunce |
| author_facet | Matthew Owens Hannah L. I. Bunce |
| author_sort | Matthew Owens |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Nature-based interventions (NBIs) grounded in mindfulness have been shown to be beneficial for improving mental wellbeing in adults. With increasing mental health challenges among children and adolescents, accessible and cost-effective interventions are essential to enhance their well-being. Brief mindfulness-based NBIs may be helpful in this regard, but there is a dearth of evidence testing such NBIs in young adolescents. The aim of this study was to test the effect of a brief nature-based meditation on mental wellbeing in community groups of adolescents (<i>n</i> = 38; aged 12–17) and adults (<i>n</i> = 39; aged 18–26). We hypothesised that the meditation would reduce depressive rumination and stress in both age groups. In a repeated-measures design, participants completed self-report measures, indexing mental wellbeing (state rumination and stress) before and immediately after listening to a brief (13 min) nature-based meditation. Rumination and stress improved overall, and the pattern in the data suggested that effects were larger for adults when compared to adolescents. This study provides preliminary evidence for the use of a brief nature-based meditation in improving mental wellbeing in adolescents. Future research should make NBIs age appropriate and examine their effectiveness for clinical adolescent populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1bfa1a89f29e4a588025152b900ea1d4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2673-5318 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Psychiatry International |
| spelling | doaj-art-1bfa1a89f29e4a588025152b900ea1d42025-08-20T03:27:32ZengMDPI AGPsychiatry International2673-53182025-03-01623610.3390/psychiatryint6020036Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young AdultsMatthew Owens0Hannah L. I. Bunce1Department of Psychology, The Mood Disorders Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QQ, UKThe ROWAN Group, Exeter, UKNature-based interventions (NBIs) grounded in mindfulness have been shown to be beneficial for improving mental wellbeing in adults. With increasing mental health challenges among children and adolescents, accessible and cost-effective interventions are essential to enhance their well-being. Brief mindfulness-based NBIs may be helpful in this regard, but there is a dearth of evidence testing such NBIs in young adolescents. The aim of this study was to test the effect of a brief nature-based meditation on mental wellbeing in community groups of adolescents (<i>n</i> = 38; aged 12–17) and adults (<i>n</i> = 39; aged 18–26). We hypothesised that the meditation would reduce depressive rumination and stress in both age groups. In a repeated-measures design, participants completed self-report measures, indexing mental wellbeing (state rumination and stress) before and immediately after listening to a brief (13 min) nature-based meditation. Rumination and stress improved overall, and the pattern in the data suggested that effects were larger for adults when compared to adolescents. This study provides preliminary evidence for the use of a brief nature-based meditation in improving mental wellbeing in adolescents. Future research should make NBIs age appropriate and examine their effectiveness for clinical adolescent populations.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/2/36nature-based meditationadolescencemental wellbeingmental healthruminationmindfulness |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Owens Hannah L. I. Bunce Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults Psychiatry International nature-based meditation adolescence mental wellbeing mental health rumination mindfulness |
| title | Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults |
| title_full | Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults |
| title_fullStr | Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults |
| title_short | Nature-Based Meditation Reduces Depressive Rumination and Stress in Adolescents and Young Adults |
| title_sort | nature based meditation reduces depressive rumination and stress in adolescents and young adults |
| topic | nature-based meditation adolescence mental wellbeing mental health rumination mindfulness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/6/2/36 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT matthewowens naturebasedmeditationreducesdepressiveruminationandstressinadolescentsandyoungadults AT hannahlibunce naturebasedmeditationreducesdepressiveruminationandstressinadolescentsandyoungadults |