Waterscapes for Promoting Mental Health in the General Population

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 22; p. 11792
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xindi, Zhang, Yixin, Zhai, Jun, Wu, Yongfa, Mao, Anyuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 10.11.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Aquatic environment; Biodiversity; Cities; Creeks & streams; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; Exercise; Fluidity; Health promotion; Hot Temperature; Humans; Hypotheses; Lakes; Mental Health; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physiology; Public health; Review; Riparian environments; Streams; Urban heat islands; Urbanization; Water quality; Wetlands; Cities; therapeutic landscapes; biodiversity; abiotic elements; exercising; ecosystem services
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211792

The WHO estimates that, with the development of urbanization, 25% of the population is suffering from psychological and mental distress. Preliminary evidence has suggested that aquatic environments and riparian areas, i.e., waterscapes, can benefit psychological and mental wellbeing. The aim of this study was to identify the processes of waterscape psychological and mental health promotion through aliterature review. We propose a design framework of waterscapes for achieving psychological and mental health in the general population that often visits waterscapes, which has the function of therapeutic landscapes through values of accessibility, versatility, habitats, and biodiversity. According to theories, waterscapes can improve psychological and mental health to divert negative emotions through mitigation (e.g., reduced urban heat island), instoration (e.g., physical activity and state of nature connectedness), and restoration (e.g., reduced anxiety/attentional fatigue). By accessing water (e.g., streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and the coast) and riparian areas, people can get in close contact with nature and spend more time in activities (e.g., walking, exploring, talking, and relaxing). Waterscapes with healing effects can enhance psychological resilience to promote people's psychological and mental health. Future research should focus on ensuring an adequate supply of waterscapes and promoting the efficiency of waterscape ecosystem services on mental health. Moreover, fora deep understanding of the complexity of nature-human health associations, it is necessary to explore more consistent evidence for therapeutic waterscapes considering the characteristics and functional mechanisms of waterscape quality, in terms of freshness, luminescence, rippling or fluidity, and cultural value, to benefit public health and biodiversity conservation.