How mindfulness and nature are conceptualised and integrated: A systematic review of nature-based mindfulness interventions
Selma Lunde Fjaestad, Rose Macaulay, Kathryn Williams, Katherine A. Johnson
Journal of Environmental Psychology September 30, 2026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103232 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | The review suggests that nature-based mindfulness interventions benefit affective wellbeing, nature and relational connection, and mindful awareness, but findings are mixed. Because mechanistic evidence is limited and interventions vary considerably in how mindfulness and nature are defined and operationalized, the specific contributions of mindfulness, nature exposure, and their integration remain unclear. |
Abstract
Amidst rising mental health and ecological challenges, nature-based mindfulness practices present as an avenue for promoting wellbeing and connections with nature, given the complementary benefits of mindfulness and nature experiences for psychological health. Yet, how mindfulness practices and environmental settings are conceptualised and operationalised within nature-based mindfulness interventions remains poorly understood. Past reviews are also limited by narrow mental health indices, excluding qualitative and environmental dimensions. In this paper, we conducted a systematic review to evaluate how mindfulness and nature are defined and applied within nature-based mindfulness interventions and synthesised the current state of psychological evidence across quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods designs. A systematic search in Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest was performed. Fifty-three studies were included for synthesis and critically appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The findings suggested benefits for affective wellbeing, nature and relational connection, and mindful awareness, though mixed findings were present. With limited mechanistic evidence and considerable variability in how mindfulness and nature were detailed and operationalised across interventions, the specific contributions of mindfulness, nature exposure, and their integration remain unclear. We conclude with directions to progress future research, with recommendations for advancing methodological, conceptual, and theoretical clarity discussed.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 29
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The Empirical Status of Mindfulness-Based Interventions: A Systematic Review of 44 Meta-Analyses of Randomized Controlled Trials Perspectives on Psychological Science February 16, 2021
- The mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy adherence scale: inter‐rater reliability, adherence to protocol and treatment distinctiveness Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy March 1, 2002
and 24 more in the library