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littlemissmartypants

(24,981 posts)
Wed Dec 22, 2021, 06:39 AM Dec 2021

Urban Mind app shows enjoying nature can reduce city loneliness

Urban Mind app shows enjoying nature can reduce city loneliness
by Bob Yirka , Phys.org

https://phys.org/news/2021-12-urban-mind-app-nature-city.html



A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.K. has found that people enjoying nature in urban settings tend to experience less loneliness than those who stay home. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the group describes their study that involved the use of the Urban Mind smartphone application.

The Urban Mind app, is a smartphone application that was created to allow people to measure their experiences living in rural or urban environments. Users are prompted three times each day to answer questions related to how they are feeling and what their surroundings are like. The creation of the app was a collaborative effort between researchers at Kings College London, landscape architects J&L Gibbons and Nomad Projects. In this new effort, the researchers analyzed data supplied by users of the app to learn more about the factors that can lead people to feel lonely.

In their effort, the researchers looked at data from 756 volunteer users (who answered 16,600 of the assessments) of the Urban Mind app between early 2018 and early 2020. Their primary focus was on factors that influence loneliness—a condition, they note, that kills more people than obesity or air pollution. As part of their analyses, they found that overcrowding was one such factor—leading to increased loneliness in 39% of the volunteers. But they found that people living in cities could reduce their feelings of loneliness by visiting parks or other nature-type areas. They found that a single such trip reduced feelings of loneliness by 28% in the volunteers. They also found that when people found themselves in places where they felt socially included, loneliness in the volunteers fell by 21%—and when social inclusion happened in a nature-type environment, loneliness fell even more—by another 8%.

The researchers note that their findings agree with results from other studies that have shown exposure to social inclusion or nature can reduce feelings of loneliness, suggesting that more could be done by health professionals to reduce the collective loneliness felt by people living in cities. They also note that familiarity with the places they visit has been shown to play a role in reducing such feelings as well, though that was not included in this study.

More information: Ryan Hammoud et al, Lonely in a crowd: investigating the association between overcrowding and loneliness using smartphone technologies, Scientific Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03398-2

Journal information: Scientific Reports

Link to the Urban Mind website:

https://www.urbanmind.info/

More information about loneliness:

People feel lonelier in crowded cities, but green spaces can help
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-people-lonelier-crowded-cities-green.html

People living in dense parts of UK cities found to be more lonely
https://phys.org/news/2021-08-people-dense-uk-cities-lonely.html

People suffering from loneliness make more physician visits, study shows
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-10-people-loneliness-physician.html

Loneliness a leading cause of depression in older adults
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-11-loneliness-depression-older-adults.html

Strained relationships, past trauma and family responsibilities contribute to loneliness among midlife women
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-05-strained-relationships-trauma-family-responsibilities.html

Experiences of loneliness may differ by age
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-loneliness-differ-age.html

~~♡~~♡~~♡~~♡~~♡~~

Always remember that you can be a loner and not be lonely. If you do find yourself lonely, you can always come here to find support and friends.

❤ pants


8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Urban Mind app shows enjoying nature can reduce city loneliness (Original Post) littlemissmartypants Dec 2021 OP
Very interesting Sherman A1 Dec 2021 #1
You're welcome! ❤ littlemissmartypants Dec 2021 #4
I wonder if app devs are looking at Erich Fromm's psych theory? SheltieLover Dec 2021 #2
You're welcome. My guess and hope, is that they are. If they aren't it's a great suggestion. ❤ littlemissmartypants Dec 2021 #5
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams Freethinker65 Dec 2021 #3
Thanks for the share, Freethinker65. ❤ littlemissmartypants Dec 2021 #6
Gorgeous photo with your OP. love_katz Dec 2021 #7
I thought so too, love_katz. It's actually in the public domain, too. littlemissmartypants Dec 2021 #8

SheltieLover

(59,303 posts)
2. I wonder if app devs are looking at Erich Fromm's psych theory?
Wed Dec 22, 2021, 07:10 AM
Dec 2021

His premise is based upon the contention that neurosis occurs due to being disconnected from self, others, and Nature.

Ty for posting!

Freethinker65

(11,013 posts)
3. The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
Wed Dec 22, 2021, 08:31 AM
Dec 2021

Read it from the local library.

Getting out in nature really help for some/most. Many are researching why that is.

littlemissmartypants

(24,981 posts)
8. I thought so too, love_katz. It's actually in the public domain, too.
Thu Dec 23, 2021, 10:14 AM
Dec 2021

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad you like the post. ❤

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