Frequency of Nature Engagement Mediates Pathway Between Nature Connectedness and Psychological Resilience

Research on human–nature relationships suggests that both nature connectedness and engagement with natural environments are associated with better mental health, yet their respective associations with psychological resilience (RES) remain insufficiently understood. The present study examined the associations among nature connectedness, frequency of nature engagement (FNE), and RES, with particular attention to whether the data were consistent with an indirect association between nature connectedness and resilience through FNE. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 306 adults aged 18–75 years (M = 37.1, SD = 11.2). The hypothesized relations were tested using path analysis within a structural equation modeling framework. Nature connectedness was positively associated with FNE (β = 0.23), which in turn was positively associated with RES (β = 0.20). The model explained 4.8% of the variance in FNE and 4.1% of the variance in resilience. The conditional direct path between nature connectedness and resilience was not statistically significant, whereas the indirect association through FNE was significant. These findings indicate that the observed data are consistent with an indirect statistical association between nature connectedness and resilience through FNE.