The purpose of a literature review is to summarize and synthesize current knowledge on a particular topic. A literature review may also identify relevant theories, trends and gaps in the existing research, and offer recommendations for practice and further research.

The following recent reviews of the literature focus on the therapeutic benefits of nature for children and youth. While these reviews indicate that nature can serve as a buffer or antidote to the negative impacts of stress in the lives of children and youth, they also highlight the need for more research on how nature engagement can build resilience for vulnerable populations. These reviews also indicate that issues related to some forms of nature-based interventions – such as the distribution of power – also need to be addressed in research and practice.

Nature-based education can promote resilience and well-being among youth

This research summary highlights the benefits of nature-based activities in promoting resilience among youth, specifically in relation to education in Finland. Related discussion calls for a shift in emphasis from the academic benefits of nature-based education to the youth development benefits, especially as these concern mental illness or problematic school absences.
Hofman-Bergholm, 2024. Nature-based education for facilitating resilience and well-being among youth—A Nordic perspective.
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Nature-specific learning outside the classroom has measurable socio-emotional, academic and well-being benefits for children and youth

This review of the literature focused on benefits associated with nature-specific learning outside the classroom. The review included 147 studies published between 2000 and 2020 with most of them conducted in the U.S. Sixty percent were conducted with adolescents. The most common reported outcomes related to self-concept and intrapersonal skills (such as self-confidence and resilience), and social and interpersonal skills (such as communication and teamwork).
Mann et al., 2022. Getting out of the classroom and into nature: A systematic review of nature-specific outdoor learning on school children’s learning and development.
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Various forms of nature-based interventions can be used to promote resilience and other positive social-emotional outcomes for vulnerable youth

This review of research conducted primarily in the U.S. highlights the value of four nature-based interventions (wilderness therapy, animal-assisted therapy, care farming and horticultural-based interventions) for vulnerable youth. Benefits included increased resilience and a range of other positive psychological, behavioral and social outcomes. A number of these benefits were maintained over time.
Overbey, Diekmann & Lekies, 2023. Nature-based interventions for vulnerable youth: A scoping review.
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Adventure therapy could provide emotional healing for adolescents with complex trauma, but related concerns need to be addressed

Adventure therapy (AT) – an adventurous activity in a natural environment – is sometimes used as an intervention for adolescents experiencing complex trauma (CT). This review of the current literature identified seven studies examining the therapeutic benefits of AT. While all of the studies reported enduring therapeutic benefits, several areas of concern were also noted. Concerns include a paucity of research, varying definitions of CT, and potentially harmful effects in instances where power is unevenly distributed within AT programs.
Pringle et al., 2023. Adventure therapy for adolescents with complex trauma: A scoping review and analysis.
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Nature engagement opportunities can occur in different settings, in a variety of ways, and be designed with different goals in mind. Nature engagement benefits of these programs for vulnerable children and youth can be experienced both in the moment and over time.

Place-based memories of grape harvesting may be therapeutic for youth experiencing mental health problems

This study was conducted in Italy with 12 young people (age 18-25) experiencing mental health issues. Twice a week over a period of five weeks, the participating youth worked with a winegrower in harvesting grapes. Researcher observations and participant feedback indicated that the physical and social aspects of this experience provided a “therapeutic landscape of the mind” which would be beneficial to the participants over time.
Barbieri & Rossero, 2024. “It is like post-traumatic stress disorder, but in a positive sense!”: New territories of the self as inner therapeutic landscapes for youth experiencing mental ill-health.
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Adolescents appreciate the well-being benefits of outdoor adventure programs

Twenty-nine adolescents (age 15-16) and four staff associated with outdoor adventure education (OAE) programs in Australia shared insights into components of OAE that contribute to well-being. Components they valued most related to “opportunities to develop relationships, build social connections, self‐efficacy, resilience, and a sense of individual empowerment.”
Down et al., 2023. “I love being in the outdoors”: A qualitative descriptive study of outdoor adventure education program components for adolescent wellbeing. 
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Nature-related experiences may promote resilience in preschool children

A study involving three different groups of children (age 3-5) in the U.S found that preschoolers with more exposure to “nature-ness” in their program made greater gains in resilience and social-emotional well-being over a period of one school year than children with less exposure to “nature-ness.” This research suggests that adding more nature-based elements to preschool programming could foster young children’s resilience.
Ernst, Juckett & Sobel, 2021. Comparing the impact of nature, blended, and traditional preschools on children’s resilience: Some nature may be better than none.
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Nature therapy can provide restorative benefits for children experiencing trauma

This paper provides an overview of trauma-informed nature therapy and presents a case study of this approach being used in the U.S. with a 15-year-old girl who had been raped. Results illustrate ways in which therapeutic activities in natural environments helped the client become fully engaged in her therapy sessions. This research adds support to the idea that engaging in nature can promote resilience and trauma recovery in children and youth.
Fisher, 2022. Trauma-Informed nature therapy: A case study. 
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Therapy conducted outdoors may help children regulate their emotional states 
Four qualified U.K.-based therapists with experience in nature-based therapy of children participated in interviews focusing on their perspectives on the interaction between nature and the therapeutic process. Most of the therapists reported that moving therapy outdoors led to positive shifts in their work. They noted that nature-based therapy may be particularly helpful for clients who experienced trauma, and for clients with neurodevelopmental issues.
Lane & Reed, 2022. The nature space. A reflexive thematic analysis of therapists’ experiences of 1:1 nature-based counseling and psychotherapy with children and young people: Exploring perspectives on the influence of nature within the therapeutic process. 
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Nature and art together can support the mental and emotional well-being of children in disadvantaged communities

This study suggested that an arts-in-nature program supported children’s mental and emotional well-being, as evidenced by children’s drawings, results of a personal well-being assessment, and responses from child and adult interviews. Study participants consisted of 101 children ages 7-10 from two primary schools located in economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods in the United Kingdom. A majority of the children rated their well-being higher after participating in the program.
Moula, Walshe & Lee, 2023. “It was like I was not a person, it was like I was the nature”: The impact of arts-in-nature experiences on the wellbeing of children living in areas of high deprivation.
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Nature contact through everyday events can help adolescents cope with negative emotions and stress

Twenty-one 15- to 16-year-old youth in Finland used art and writing to depict their memorable experiences with nature and to describe how these experiences impacted their well-being. Most of the adolescents’ memorable experiences occurred in familiar environments and through spontaneous nature-related events in daily life. Benefits the adolescents gained from these experiences include increased calm, feelings of safety and comfort, and increased ability to cope with adversity.
Puhakka, Hakoköngäs & Peura, 2023. The memorable nature experiences of youth: A phenomenological approach to visualized and written experiences. 
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Park prescriptions may be effective in addressing pediatric stress and resilience

This longitudinal study of a park prescription program for low-income families found that for every increase in weekly park visits by the family, there was a significant increase in children’s resilience. As resilience scores increased, child stress scores decreased, providing some indication that childhood stress partially mediates the relationship between park visits and resilience.
Razani et al., 2019. Clinic and park partnerships for childhood resilience: A prospective study of park prescriptions.
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A forest school intervention for children with serious social and emotional challenges supports children’s improved well-being

Two schools in England participated in a study investigating the impact of a Forest School (FS) intervention for children with extreme anxiety and/or social, emotional and behavioral difficulties. Results showed that a FS approach aimed at developing resilient, confident, independent and creative learners allowed individual children to take what they needed from the experience.
Tiplady & Menter, 2020. Forest School for wellbeing: An environment in which young people can ‘take what they need.’
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Adverse conditions placing children and youth at risk for poor mental health include specific concerns such as exposure to pandemics, climate change, and living in an environment with limited access to resources needed for healthy development. Limited access to support for cultural values can also place them at increased risk for poor mental health. Engagement with nature may lower the risk of mental health problems for children and youth impacted by these and other adverse conditions.

Connections with nature may be a hidden strength for Indigenous youth living in urban environments

This study explored how health, resilience and well-being can be strengthened when connections to nature occur within urban contexts. The study was conducted by a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers in Canada using a photo elicitation process and talking circle interviews with 28 urban Indigenous youth (age 16-25). The youth identified ways in which connections with nature helped them cope with various stressors in their daily lives.
Hatala et al., 2020. Land and nature as sources of health and resilience among Indigenous youth in an urban Canadian context: A photo voice exploration.
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Connection to nature boosts adolescents’ mental well-being during COVID
Surveys completed by 624 youth in the U.S. showed significant declines in adolescents’ nature experience activities, outdoor play activities, connection to nature, and mental well-being from before to during the COVID pandemic. Results also showed that connection to nature was associated with higher levels of mental well-being at both time intervals. This research indicates that improving access to nearby nature could promote adolescent mental health, as increased outdoor experiences can fuel connection to nature.
Jackson et al., 2021. Connection to nature boosts adolescents’ mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Clinical ecopsychology recognizes nature contact as a potential protective and resilience factor in addressing climate-related mental health concerns

This paper calls for a new field of study — clinical ecopsychology — to focus specifically on the mental health impacts of the climate and environmental crisis. Recommendations for future research are offered, along with ideas on how to tap into the protective factors for maintaining or improving mental health in the face of ecological adversity. Increased contact with nature is recognized as one way to promote resilience in children and youth.
Thoma, Rohleder & Rohner, 2021. Clinical Ecopsychology: The mental health impacts and underlying pathways of the climate and environmental crisis.
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