ECO-MIND: Enhancing pro-environmental behaviours and mental health through nature contact for urban youth
The main aim of the ECO-MIND project is to examine whether urban youth’s causal beliefs (i.e., their mental models) about nature connectedness affect the impact of nature exposure on mental health and pro-environmental behaviour in multiple urban contexts.
Urban youth are experiencing increasing mental health problems due to diverse personal, social, and environmental concerns. Youth detachment from natural environments may intensify such issues further. Contact with nature can benefit mental health and promote pro-environmental behaviour. Yet, only a few studies assess these relationships among the youth, usually ignoring the effects of living in diverse urban contexts.
To fill this knowledge gap, data will be collected from university students from the Global South (i.e., Dhaka, Kampala) and Global North cities (i.e., Utrecht). Geographical ecological momentary assessment will be used to assess respondents’ everyday exposure to nature. Our definition of nature exposure will be based on the availability, accessibility, and visibility of greenspaces extracted from satellite and street view images. A questionnaire about mental health, nature connectedness, and pro-environmental behaviour will be administered to participants. Additionally, participants will be asked to build mental models to show their perception of nature-connectedness.
The project is funded by the Faculty of Geoscience and runs from 2024 to 2027.
Societal relevance
The findings from this project can inform policies and urban planning practices to improve mental health and stimulate pro-environmental behaviour among urban youth using nature-based solutions and interventions.