Reframing nature connectedness as a psychosocial mechanism for youth mental health

Nature connectedness has emerged as an increasingly important resource for addressing the growing global challenge of youth mental health. Moving beyond exposure-based accounts of greenspace contact, this conceptual analysis reframes nature connectedness as a modifiable psychosocial mechanism in adolescent development. Integrating evidence and theory from developmental and environmental psychology, public health, and social science, we propose a three-pathway model through which nature connectedness may support mental health in young people: (i) emotional restoration (attentional recovery, stress buffering, and emotion regulation), (ii) behavioral regulation (physical activity, digital balance, and sleep), and (iii) social connectedness (belonging, community engagement, and family cohesion). This model provides a theoretically grounded and translational framework for designing, evaluating, and structurally embedding scalable, equity-oriented nature-based strategies within youth mental health systems.