Bringing Outdoor Therapies Into Mainstream Mental Health

Several recent reviews have concluded that, while certainly not a panacea, exposure to nature and outdoor activities can improve mental health for at least some symptoms, causes, patients, and circumstances (1-6). They are particularly relevant for the psychological components of chronic disease syndrome, namely depression and dementia (7-9). Outdoor exercise plays a role, in addition to outdoor environments (10-12), but nature-based outdoor activities yield benefits additional to those of exercise alone They are valuable at all ages, from children All of these have substantial economic implications