BBC World Service, The Evidence

The nature of mental health

The EvidenceThe Evidence

Claudia Hammond and her panel of experts address that widely-held view, even intuition, that plants and nature directly impact on our emotional wellbeing and mental health. They look at the evidence behind such beliefs, and as they reveal, proving this link scientifically, is fiendishly difficult.

The evidence base is growing (especially studies which show being in nature improves your mood) and there is much emerging research which gives tantalising glimpses into exactly which elements in nature could help to produce that green feel-good factor (and which elements can actually make us feel worse).