Nature Heals:

yasamin3
4 days ago
2 min read

Mapping Nature-based Interventions for

Climate-Related Emotional Distress

On August 20th, WIL Intern Mahnoosh Jalilzadeh presented their project titled ‘Nature Heals: Mapping Nature-Based Interventions for Climate-Related Emotional Distress’ at the Dahdaleh Institute Global Health Trainee Symposium. The presentation examined how nature-based approaches can help alleviate eco-anxiety, climate grief, and solastalgia, fostering emotional resilience among people affected by climate-related distress.

Mahnoosh is a fourth year Honours Psychology student at York University. Their focus areas include holistic care, mental health, nature connection, ecopsychology, mindfulness, and somatic practices. Key contributions in their current role include co-authoring the “Nature-Based Interventions for Climate-Related Emotional Distress: A Scoping Review” project, supporting Climate Café initiatives through attendance and event assistance, and engaging the public through tabling.

Why Climate Change is a Global Mental Health Crisis:

Climate change causes rising eco-anxiety, climate grief, solastalgia. It impacts both those directly affected & those aware of the crisis. Emotional distress is normal & valid, but few therapies address the ecological roots. There is a growing need for approaches that integrate connection with nature as a healing element.

Nature-Based Interventions for Climate-Related Emotional Distress: A Scoping Review

Aim: Map existing evidence on NBIs for climate-related emotional distress & identify gaps

The Population, Concept and Context Framework:

How We’re Doing It & What’s Emerging:

● Methodology: Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) + PRISMA-ScR

● Scope: 2005–2025, academic & grey literature, broad inclusion criteria

● Preliminary Findings:

About half of papers: NBIs for general mental health
Others: Climate-related distress (eco-anxiety, solastalgia,

grief) but used non-nature-based psychological interventions

Gap: While nature-based interventions (NBIs) have been

explored for general mental health benefits, no existing scoping review systematically examines their role in addressing climate-related emotional distress.

● Populations Studied: Youth, Indigenous communities, climate-concerned adults.