While scrolling yesterday I came across the following study Could Nature Contribute to the Management of ADHD in Children? A Systematic Review, which led me to looking more into it. Considering how many people swear by grounding (earthing) and its healing effects, I was curious to see what there was around this space.
So what did this systematic review conclude? Observational studies found that children who played in natural settings (parks or areas with big trees and grass) exhibited less severe ADHD symptoms compared to those in indoor or built environments. Experimental studies showed that children concentrated better and perceived natural settings as more restorative and enjoyable. And these effects were observed across different geographical locations and held regardless age, gender, and household income.
Another study by van den Berg et al, split children into two groups and conducted cognitive tests and interviews in a wooded area (natural setting) and a small town (built setting). Behavioral observations showed that group 1 exhibited more positive behaviours in the woods, while group 2 showed positive behaviors in both settings but had more negative behaviors in the town. Environmental evaluations indicated group 1 preferred the woods, while group 2 enjoyed both but found the woods more restorative. This suggests natural settings improve concentration and mood and reduce negative behaviours in children with ADHD.
A 2019 Lancet study found that increased minimum exposure to green spaces after age 2 and consistent rural living were both significantly protective against ADHD. The findings suggest that interventions to increase children's minimum exposure to green spaces, particularly in less green areas, could be effective in reducing ADHD risk. Early-life exposure to greenness or rurality (from prenatal to age 2) did not show protective effects, indicating that exposure to nature might help in moderating ADHD symptoms rather than preventing the disorder's development.
So, evidently there is some evidence for symptom mitigation of ADHD in kids - but what about adults? Well, I could not find that much on adults. Clearly there is an established link in children, that show that spending time in nature reduced symptoms of ADHD. Researchers at University of Illinois found that Green Therapy, i.e., spending 20 mins in nature, helps reduce unwanted symptoms of adult ADHD participants. The reason why? Green therapy is effective due to the calming influence of nature. When you are in a serene environment, your brain enters a state of relaxation. This leads to a decrease in voluntary (or goal-directed) attention, allowing your involuntary attention to become more dominant. As a result, your brain gets an opportunity to rejuvenate and restore itself.
Evidently nature has some healing powers, and the associated cognitive benefits when in nature are established. Maybe we should all be incorporating more exposure to nature, regardless of ADHD. Have you found that you’re more concentrated and calmer when it comes to your day and work when you’ve been exposed to nature?
I hope you enjoyed, and thank you for taking some time out of your day to read to my post! See you next week! :)
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This is so interesting. I would love to know whether it's the grounding or the vitamin d. I remember during the pandemic the "stupid walks for my mental health" became a HUGE thing. 🤔🤔
Agreed. It probably did exist, but the awareness was not there, the knowledge or talked about like it is today.