RESEARCH

An Update of the Literature Supporting the Well-Being Benefits of Plants: A Review of the Emotional and Mental Health Benefits of Plants

This review highlights the mental health benefits of plants, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, along with improved focus, memory, and creativity. These properties can also be applied to specific medical conditions such as PTSD, dementia, and ADHD/ADD. The authors encourage integrating greenery into daily environments to enhance well-being and overall quality of life.

Research Source: Academic Journals

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Summary

This review explores how plants and green spaces enhance mental well-being by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression while improving focus, memory, and creativity. Research also shows that exposure to nature aids recovery from PTSD, mitigates dementia symptoms, and increases overall happiness and life satisfaction. These results are supported by both qualitative markers like questionnaires, as well as physical evidence such as cortisol saliva levels and brain structure changes.

The authors emphasize that plants should be valued not just for their beauty but for their essential role in well-being. They advocate for integrating greenery into homes, workplaces, and urban spaces to support mental health and improve quality of life.

Link

Hall, C., & Knuth, M. (2019a). An update of the literature supporting the well-being benefits of plants: A review of the emotional and mental health benefits of plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, 37(1), 30–38

https://meridian.allenpress.com/jeh/article/37/1/30/430948/An-Update-of-the-Literature-Supporting-the-Well

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