Mental health and well-being are considered fundamental to an individual’s quality of life. Yet mental disorders are increasing. The World Health Organization predicts depression will be the second greatest cause of ill health, globally, by 2020.

An expanding catalogue of research suggests that interaction with the natural environment contributes to mental well-being, such as restored concentration, enhanced positive mood and self-esteem, and reduced feelings of negative mood, depression, and stress.

Dr. Melissa Marselle, a research fellow in the School of Arts and Media at the University of Salford, U.K., discusses the role of the natural environment in human health, and the benefits gained from group walks in nature. Dr. Marselle will also explore the effect that different types and qualities of the natural environment have on well-being.

Dr. Melissa Marselle is Research Fellow in the School of Arts and Media at the University of Salford, U.K. Melissa is an environmental psychologist with over 10 years’ research experience investigating human-environment interactions. She has broad research experience, having worked in projects as diverse as the World Trade Centre evacuation, design against crime, soundscsapes, and the health benefits of natural environments. Her research article on well-being and group walks in nature is the most read in the journal Ecopsychology. Melissa is a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society.