Nature doesn't judge you – how urban nature supports young people's mental health and wellbeing in a diverse UK city

• Published in: Health & place Vol. 62; pp. 102296 - 13
• Main Authors: Birch, Jo, Rishbeth, Clare, Payne, Sarah R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2020; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Childhood; Children; Cities; Escape; Health technology assessment; Landscape; Mental health; Nature connection; Open spaces; Qualitative research; Trees; Urban areas; Urban nature; Well being; Wellbeing; Workshops; Young adults; Young people; Youth; United Kingdom > UK; Young people; Wellbeing; Cities; Nature connection; Mental health; Urban nature
• ISSN: 1353-8292; 1873-2054
• DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102296

Reviewed research reveals a lack of young people's voices articulating if and how urban nature supports their mental health and wellbeing. This paper presents qualitative research with young multi-ethnic urban residents living in a northern UK city and offers an important counter-narrative to the pervasive notion of childhood nature-deficit disorder. Using interviews and creative arts workshops, we explored the value of urban nature for the mental health and wellbeing of 24 young people aged 17–27 years, 9 of whom had lived experience of mental health difficulties. Trees, water, open spaces and views were frequently experienced nature typologies offering benefits. Deteriorating landscapes, young people's shifting identities and perceived time pressures disrupted support. Young people expressed how urban nature encounters were experienced as accepting and relational, offering a: stronger sense of self; feelings of escape; connection and care with the human and non-human world.
•Young city residents gain mental health support through everyday urban nature.•Such support was felt by ethnic minority youth and those in deprived urban areas.•Benefits included: a stronger sense of self; feelings of escape, connection and care.•Benefits were not universally felt and were undermined in certain situations.•Creative qualitative methods offer new understandings of youth mental health and place.