Nature-Based Programs and Youth Mental Health: What Do We Know and What Do We Need to Know?

This paper provides commentary on two societal concerns: increasing levels of youth mental health issues, and the lack of large-scaled, widely implemented methods to respond to this concern. The authors explicate the twin problems of worsening youth mental health and the lack of large scale research examining approaches to tackle the trend, and focus on the role of nature-based programs in addressing these phenomena. Suggestions are provided for research designs which may yield vital knowledge on suitable methodologies and appropriate theoretical frameworks which can be harnessed to improve youth mental health through access to activities in natural environments.