Connection to Nature and Psychological Wellbeing: The Role of Mindfulness and Spirituality
Simin Kazemi, Julia Torquati, Tuyen Huynh
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health May 29, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23060725 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 399 |
| Population | Young adults |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Spirituality Clarity Mechanism biology Structural equation modeling Connection principal bundle Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Conceptual model Life satisfaction Developmental psychology |
| Key findings | Mindfulness and spirituality mediate the link between connection to nature and psychological wellbeing, but their roles depend on how the constructs are measured. |
Abstract
This study examined mindfulness and spirituality as potential explanatory mechanisms underlying the associations between connection to nature and young adults’ psychological wellbeing (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, life satisfaction, and positive states of mind). Two studies employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to test these pathways using different conceptualizations and measures of mindfulness and spirituality. Participants (Study 1: N = 219, 69.4% female; Study 2: N = 180, 75% female) completed self-report measures of connection to nature, mindfulness, spirituality, and psychological wellbeing. In Study 1, mindful attention functioned as a significant mediating mechanism reducing anxiety and perceived stress, while mindful awareness mediated reductions in depression and increases in positive states of mind. Conversely, spirituality (life scheme and self-efficacy) was not a significant mediator. In Study 2, using alternative measures, spirituality (self-transcendence) significantly operated as a mediating mechanism across all wellbeing outcomes except anxiety, whereas none of the five facets of mindfulness acted as significant mediating mechanisms. Overall, these findings suggest that the roles of mindfulness and spirituality in linking connection to nature and psychological wellbeing may vary depending on how these constructs are conceptualized and measured, highlighting the need for greater conceptual clarity in future research.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cites 17
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Assessment February 29, 2008
- Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences October 11, 2007
and 12 more in the library