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Jahan-Mihan A, Stevens P, Medero-Alfonso S, Brace G, Overby LK, Berg K, Labyak C. The Role of Water-Soluble Vitamins and Vitamin D in Prevention and Treatment of Depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder in Adults. Nutrients 2024; 16:1902. [PMID: 38931257 PMCID: PMC11206829 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Depression is a major global health concern expected to worsen by 2030. In 2019, 28 million individuals were affected by depressive disorders. Dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression. B vitamins are crucial for neurological function and mood regulation. Deficiencies in these vitamins are linked to depression. Studies on individual B vitamins show promise in improving depressive symptoms, particularly thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate. Vitamin C deficiency may heighten depressive symptoms, but its exact role is not fully understood. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is associated with insufficient sunlight exposure and vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D supplementation for SAD shows inconsistent results due to methodological variations. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms of vitamins in depression treatment. Moreover, more research on SAD and light therapy's efficacy and underlying mechanisms involving photoreceptors, enzymes, and immune markers is needed. Although dietary and supplemental vitamins show overall favorable preventative and therapeutic effects on depression, dietitians treating psychiatric disorders face challenges due to diverse study designs, making direct comparisons difficult. Therefore, this article reviews the current literature to assess the role of dietary and supplemental vitamins in the prevention and treatment of depression. This review found that, although evidence supports the role of B vitamins and vitamins C and D in preventing and treating depression, further research is needed to clarify their mechanisms of action and determine the most effective intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Jahan-Mihan
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Dr., Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; (P.S.); (S.M.-A.); (G.B.); (L.K.O.); (K.B.); (C.L.)
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Nian QY, Cheng CA, Cheng LH, Lin YY, Wang CH, Chien WC, Chu YH, Shih CP, Kuo CY, Chen HC, Lee JC, Chung CH, Shangkuan WC, Lin HC. Increased risk of psychiatric disorder in patients with hearing loss: a nationwide population-based cohort study. J Transl Med 2024; 22:345. [PMID: 38600566 PMCID: PMC11007894 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04992-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hearing loss has been shown to be a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. In addition, long-term hearing loss is associated with increased hospitalization and mortality rates; however, the increased risk and duration of effect of hearing loss in combination with other chronic diseases on each psychiatric disorder are still not clearly defined. The purpose of this article is to clarify the risk of hearing loss for each disorder over time. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study, and a national health insurance research database in Taiwan was utilized. All (n = 1,949,101) Taiwanese residents who had a medical visit between 2000 and 2015 were included. Patients with hearing loss and a comparative retrospective cohort were analyzed. Every subject was tracked individually from their index date to identify the subjects who later received a diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder. The Kaplan‒Meier method was used to analyze the cumulative incidence of psychiatric disorders. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the risk of psychiatric disorders. RESULTS A total of 13,341 (15.42%) and 31,250 (9.03%) patients with and without hearing loss, respectively, were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that hearing loss significantly elevated the risk of psychiatric disorders (adjusted HR = 2.587, 95% CI 1.723-3.346, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that patients with hearing loss are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the various psychiatric disorders are more likely to occur at different times. Our findings have important clinical implications, including a need for clinicians to implement early intervention for hearing loss and to pay close attention to patients' psychological status. Trial registration TSGHIRB No. E202216036.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun-Yi Nian
- Department of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chun-An Cheng
- Department of Neurology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Li-Hsiang Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Yung Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chin-Hung Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Wu-Chien Chien
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
- School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Taiwanese Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Association, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yueng-Hsiang Chu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Ping Shih
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Yin Kuo
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Chien Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Jih-Chin Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Hsiang Chung
- Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
- School of Public Health, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chuan Shangkuan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Che Lin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, No. 325, Sec. 2, Chenggong Rd., Neihu Dist., 114202, Taipei City, Taiwan.
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Mabe-Castro D, Gomez KT, Castillo-Aguilar M, Jannas-Vela S, Guzmán-Muñoz E, Valdés-Badilla P, Núñez-Espinosa C. Frailty, Seasonal Sensitivity and Health-related Quality of Life in Older People Living in High Southern Latitudes: a Bayesian Analysis. Can Geriatr J 2024; 27:56-62. [PMID: 38433882 PMCID: PMC10896209 DOI: 10.5770/cgj.27.719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background In older people, a notable research gap exists regarding the intricate dynamics between frailty, seasonal sensitivity, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to determine the association between frailty, seasonal sensitivity, and HRQoL in older people from high southern latitudes. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. Frailty, seasonal sensitivity, and HRQoL measurements were self-reported by participants through questionnaires. A total of 118 older people were recruited from a local community. The participants were selected through intentional non-probabilistic sampling. Results The adjusted models showed a trend where lower education was associated with a higher risk of frailty (BF = 0.218). For frailty and HRQoL, we observed a trend suggesting that HRQoL decreases with increasing severity of frailty (BF = 1.76). In addition, we observed a linear effect based on the severity of seasonal sensitivity, meaning that older people with higher perceived severity report a proportional decrease in HRQoL (BF = 6.66). Conclusion Sociodemographic factors, such as lower education levels, have increased the risk of frailty. At the same time, frailty and seasonal sensitivity perceived severity were associated with a lower HRQoL in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Mabe-Castro
- Centro Asistencial Docente y de Investigación, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas
- Kinesiology Department, University of Magallanes, Punta Arenas
| | - Karen Tobar Gomez
- Centro Asistencial Docente y de Investigación, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas
| | - Matías Castillo-Aguilar
- Centro Asistencial Docente y de Investigación, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas
- Kinesiology Department, University of Magallanes, Punta Arenas
| | - Sebastián Jannas-Vela
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Unviersidad de O’Higgins, Rancagua
- Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging RED21993, Talca
| | - Eduardo Guzmán-Muñoz
- Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago
- Escuela de Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Talca
| | - Pablo Valdés-Badilla
- Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca
- Carrera de Entrenador Deportivo, Escuela de Educación, Universidad Viña del Mar, Valparaiso
| | - Cristian Núñez-Espinosa
- Centro Asistencial Docente y de Investigación, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas
- Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging RED21993, Talca
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
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Bosma E, Feenstra V, van Oostrom SH. Anxiety among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1236931. [PMID: 38098835 PMCID: PMC10720981 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1236931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare workers faced extreme working conditions and were at higher risk of infection with the coronavirus. These circumstances may have led to mental health problems, such as anxiety, among healthcare workers. Most studies that examined anxiety among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic were cross-sectional and focused on the first months of the pandemic only. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the longitudinal association between working in healthcare and anxiety during a long-term period (i.e., 18 months) of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data were used from online questionnaires of the Lifelines COVID-19 prospective cohort with 22 included time-points (March 2020-November 2021). In total, 2,750 healthcare workers and 9,335 non-healthcare workers were included. Anxiety was assessed with questions from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and an anxiety sum score (0-7) was calculated. Negative binomial generalized estimating equations (GEE), adjusted for demographic, work and health covariates, were used to examine the association between working in healthcare and anxiety. Results Anxiety sum scores over time during the COVID-19 pandemic were similar for healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers. No differences between the anxiety sum scores of healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers were found [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.91-1.04]. Conclusion This study did not find differences between healthcare workers and non-healthcare in perceived anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmee Bosma
- Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, Department Behavior and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Verena Feenstra
- Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, Department Behavior and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
| | - Sandra H. van Oostrom
- Center for Prevention, Lifestyle and Health, Department Behavior and Health, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, Netherlands
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Tsai WL, Nash MS, Rosenbaum DJ, Prince SE, D’Aloisio AA, Mehaffey MH, Sandler DP, Buckley TJ, Neale AC. Association of Redlining and Natural Environment with Depressive Symptoms in Women in the Sister Study. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:107009. [PMID: 37851582 PMCID: PMC10584058 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Improving mental health is recognized as an important factor for achieving global development goals. Despite strong evidence that neighborhood greenery promotes better mental health, there are environmental justice concerns over the distribution of neighborhood greenery. Underlying these concerns are present-day consequences of historical discriminatory financial investment practices, such as redlining which was established by the U.S. Federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) in the 1930s. The impacts of redlining on environmental and health disparities have been researched extensively. However, the influences of redlining on the associations between neighborhood environment and health outcomes have not been fully assessed. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to examine whether associations between residential tree cover and depressive symptoms vary across areas subject to HOLC practices. METHODS Depressive symptoms were defined by the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale collected during the period 2008-2012 for 3,555 women in the Sister Study cohort residing in cities subject to HOLC practices across the United States. HOLC rating maps were obtained from the Mapping Inequality Project, University of Richmond, with neighborhoods graded as A (best for financial investment, green), B (still desirable, blue), C (declining, yellow), and D (hazardous, red-known as redlined). Tree cover within 500 m and 2,000 m from residences was estimated using 2011 U.S. Forest Service Percent Tree Canopy Cover. Mixed model using climate zone as the random effect was applied to evaluate the associations with adjustments for potential covariates. Analyses were stratified by HOLC grade. RESULTS Tree cover was significantly higher in neighborhoods with better HOLC grades. A 10% increase in tree cover was associated with reduced odds of depressive symptoms for the full study population, with adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88, 0.99], and 0.91 (0.85, 0.97) for 500 -m and 2,000 -m buffer, respectively. Across HOLC grades, the strongest associations were observed in redlined neighborhoods, with respective AORs of 0.72 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.99) and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.90) for 500 -m and 2,000 -m buffer. DISCUSSION Findings support a remediation strategy focused on neighborhood greenery that would address multiple public health priorities, including mental health and environmental justice. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12212.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Lun Tsai
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maliha S. Nash
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - Daniel J. Rosenbaum
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education at Office of Research and Development, U.S. EPA, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Steven E. Prince
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aimee A. D’Aloisio
- Social & Scientific Systems, DLH Holdings Corporation, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Megan H. Mehaffey
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dale P. Sandler
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Timothy J. Buckley
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | - Anne C. Neale
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
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Nevarez-Flores AG, Bostock ECS, Neil AL. The underexplored presence of seasonal affective disorder in the southern hemisphere: A narrative review of the Australian literature. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 162:170-179. [PMID: 37167837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is well documented in the medical literature, particularly in more northern latitudes in agreement with proposed hypotheses for SAD's pathophysiology. However, in the southern latitudes SAD's presence remains underexplored. The second largest country in the southern hemisphere is Australia. Australia has wide ranging geographical and climatic differences that are expected to support SAD's presence. The aim of this study is therefore, to establish an evidence base for SAD in Australia. METHODS PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for published peer-review studies focussed on, or related to SAD, winter depression or seasonal variation in mood in Australia. There were no time-period restrictions. RESULTS Thirteen studies were identified. Studies explored the presence/nature of SAD, contributing factors, autonomic activity, treatment, and the validity of the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire in the Australian population. An association between changes in mood and behaviour and seasonal occurrence was clearly identified, with SAD's presence varying by location. The highest percentage of study participants with SAD in a single location was observed in Tasmania, Australia's most southern state. The findings and interpretations of the studies included in this review are subject to the number of locations assessed, the number of studies undertaken at each location and individual study limitations. CONCLUSIONS Ascertaining information on the prevalence and correlates of SAD in the southern hemisphere, particularly in high-risk locations could contribute to clinical literacy into the syndrome, support management practices, and promote the early identification and treatment of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda L Neil
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
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Alvarado C, Castillo-Aguilar M, Villegas V, Estrada Goic C, Harris K, Barria P, Moraes MM, Mendes TT, Arantes RME, Valdés-Badilla P, Núñez-Espinosa C. Physical Activity, Seasonal Sensitivity and Psychological Well-Being of People of Different Age Groups Living in Extreme Environments. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1719. [PMID: 36767088 PMCID: PMC9914638 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Physical activity can prevent many organic and mental pathologies. For people living in extreme southern high-latitude environments, weather conditions can affect these activities, altering their psychological well-being and favoring the prevalence of seasonal sensitivity (SS). This study aims to determine the relationships between the practice of physical activity, seasonal sensitivity and well-being in people living in high southern latitudes. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using the Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ), applying a psychological well-being scale, and determining sports practice according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the 370 male (n = 209; 55%) and female (n = 173; 45%) participants. The main results indicated that 194 people (52 ± 7.7 years) reported physical activity. High-intensity physical activity practitioners recorded a significantly lower proportion of SS. In terms of psychological well-being, an adverse effect was found between the Seasonal Score Index (SSI) and five subcategories of the Ryff well-being scale. In conclusion, those who perform high-intensity physical activity have a lower SS, and those who have a higher SS have a lower psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caren Alvarado
- School of Medicine, Magallanes University, Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación (CADI-UMAG), Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
| | - Matías Castillo-Aguilar
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación (CADI-UMAG), Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Kinesiology Department, Magallanes University, Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
| | - Valeska Villegas
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación (CADI-UMAG), Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
| | | | - Katherine Harris
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación (CADI-UMAG), Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Kinesiology Department, Magallanes University, Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
| | - Patricio Barria
- Corporación de Rehabilitación Club de Leones Cruz del Sur, Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Brain-Machine Interface Systems Lab, Systems Engineering and Automation Department, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, 03202 Elche, Spain
| | - Michele M. Moraes
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- Associate Researcher of the Center for Newborn Screening and Genetics Diagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Thiago T. Mendes
- Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Education, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador 40170-110, BA, Brazil
| | - Rosa M. E. Arantes
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
- Associate Researcher of the Center for Newborn Screening and Genetics Diagnosis, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
| | - Pablo Valdés-Badilla
- Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Faculty of Education Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3530000, Chile
- Sports Coach Career, School of Education, Universidad Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar 2520000, Chile
| | - Cristian Núñez-Espinosa
- School of Medicine, Magallanes University, Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Centro Asistencial de Docencia e Investigación (CADI-UMAG), Punta Arenas 6210005, Chile
- Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Santiago 8380544, Chile
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Sztuka IM, Örken A, Sudimac S, Kühn S. The other blue: Role of sky in the perception of nature. Front Psychol 2022; 13:932507. [PMID: 36389494 PMCID: PMC9651055 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.932507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature is frequently operationalized as greenery or water to estimate the restorativeness of the environment. Pursuing a deeper understanding of the connection between representation of naturalness and its relationship with restoration, we conducted an experiment aimed to investigate if the sky is perceived as an element of nature. The main goal of this study was to understand how the composition of the environment guides people’s selection of sky as nature in an explicit task. Moreover, we investigated how the amount of visible sky determines this relationship. One hundred five participants participated in a novel explicit judgment task conducted online. In this task, we prepared a set of images trimmed out of 360-degree high dynamic range images. The images were classified according to two primary independent variables representing type of environment (four levels: Nature, Some Nature, Some Urban and Urban) and horizon level (three levels: Low, Medium and High). Each participant was asked to select, by clicking on the image, what they consider as “nature.” In addition, they were asked to judge images on five visual analogue scales: emotional response, aesthetic preference, feeling of familiarity, the openness of the space and naturalness. For analysis, images were segmented into 11 semantic categories (e.g., trees, sky, and water) with each pixel being assigned one semantic label. Our results show that, sky is associated with selections of nature in a specific pattern. The relationship is dependent on the particular set of conditions that are present in the environment (i.e., weather, season of the year) rather than the type of the environment (urban, nature). The availability of sky on the image affects the selection of other nature labels with selections more likely when only a small amount of sky was available. Furthermore, we found that the amount of sky had a significant positive association with the naturalness rating of the whole image, but the effect was small. Our results also indicate that subjective selections of sky predict the naturalness better than trees and water. On the other hand, objective presence of trees and water has a stronger positive association with naturalness while objective presence of sky is positively associated with naturalness. The results show that, relative to its availability sky is considered as nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Maria Sztuka
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Dahlem Campus of Cognition (MPDCC), Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Izabela Maria Sztuka, ; Simone Kühn,
| | - Ada Örken
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sonja Sudimac
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Dahlem Campus of Cognition (MPDCC), Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Development, International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (LIFE), Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Kühn
- Lise Meitner Group for Environmental Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Max Planck Dahlem Campus of Cognition (MPDCC), Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research Berlin, Germany and London, UK, Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Izabela Maria Sztuka, ; Simone Kühn,
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Nevarez Flores AG, Bostock ECS, Neil AL. Should clinicians and the general population be concerned about seasonal affective disorder in Australia? Med J Aust 2022; 216:507-509. [DOI: 10.5694/mja2.51518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda L Neil
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research University of Tasmania Hobart TAS
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