Randomized trial demonstrates improved subjective well-being from nature photography in college students, suggesting reflective nature activities offer accessible mental health benefits.
Key Points
To evaluate whether a 7-day nature-based, meaning-focused photography intervention with or without reflective writing improves subjective well-being and life satisfaction via enhanced meaning in life.
A pre-registered three-arm randomized controlled trial allocated 219 college students to photo + writing (taking nature photos with 100-word reflections), photo-only, or a waiting-list control.
Outcomes were assessed across three time points: pre-test, post-test (day 7), and a 1-month follow-up.
Treatment and heterogeneous intervention effects were analyzed using machine learning-based Bayesian causal forests.
Compared with control, the photo + writing group achieved higher meaning in life (average treatment effect [ATE] = 0.36 SD), subjective well-being (ATE = 0.27 SD), and life satisfaction (ATE = 0.66 SD).
The photo-only group also showed gains in meaning in life (ATE = 0.27 SD), subjective well-being (ATE = 0.24 SD), and life satisfaction (ATE = 0.54 SD), though neither arm maintained these effects at the 1-month follow-up.
Meaning in life mediated well-being gains, with the largest benefits observed in participants with lower subjective socioeconomic status, minimal prior nature exposure, or lower baseline psychological well-being.