nature-based interventions strongly boost psychological positive outcomes
Exact: SMD = 1.18
Nature-based interventions have a large positive effect on psychological dimensions of well-being
When positive outcomes were broken down by domain, psychological dimensions (such as mood, positive affect and subjective well-being) showed a large effect (SMD = 1.18; 95% CI: 0.66 to 1.69), substantially outperforming the physiological dimension. This highlights the strong mental health potential of nature-based interventions.
For positive outcomes, the SMD for psychological dimensions was 1.18 (95% CI, 0.66 to 1.69)
Related findings
30%
minimum greenery share for a favourable streetscape impression
Most people have a favourable impression of the streetscape when more than 30% of the view consists of greenery
Alenka Fikfak et al., 2024, Urban Science
physiological and psychological responses measured during urban walks
Psychophysiological responses of 29 subjects were analyzed in relation to urban street scene configuration and color
Chiara Maninetti et al., 2026, Frontiers in Psychology
large pre-to-post increase in feeling connected to nature after virtual nature exposure
Virtual nature exposure significantly increased nature connectedness with a large effect size
Elena Brambilla et al., 2025, JMIR Serious Games
Read more in
Healthcare 
Urban Singapore's green mandate, sixty years in
Mandatory greening raises developer costs before it differentiates assets, and the most cited showcase numbers come from the architects themselves.
Workplace Pricing biophilia: what the evidence is worth
Read at the primary sources, the business case for nature in buildings is narrower than advertised and strong enough to act on.
More from The Built Review
Healthcare Built to Wake: How Hospital Noise and Light Undermine Patient Sleep
Of the two environmental levers on inpatient sleep, noise control is the better proven and the cheaper, while tunable lighting for the general ward is the one the evidence does not yet support.
Workplace Germany's missing indoor-air bill
France, Britain and Australia have priced bad indoor air. Germany's missing number is a political choice, not a methodological limit.
Housing What insurers don't ask about buildings
Health insurers price age, tobacco and zip code. Building quality is in no model, and the law is only half the reason.