Strong Nature, Strong Mind—The Interphase between Environmental Sustainability and Mental Health
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2023) | Viewed by 1561
Special Issue Editors
Interests: health psychology; mental health; healthy environment and body image; couple and family relationships; family therapy; losses; divorce; drug addictions; excessive mobile phone and internet usage; adverse childhood experiences
Interests: sustainable development; social work; professional communication; social support; social stigma; discrimination; exclusion
Interests: health psychology related to COVID-19; health psychology in chronic diseases; family relationships in the context of oncological diagnostics; cognitive behavioral therapy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In this Special Issue, we would like to join two well-known topics of high actuality: mental health and a sustainable environment.
Mental health is an essential component of human well-being and maintaining mental health must become a priority in the coming decades, given that mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety, affect more than one in six European Union citizens. Although mental illness can be inherited, a wide variety of factors, such as economic, social, and physical influences, can also contribute to the development of a mental disorder.
In the context of mental illness, the environment is seen by specialists as everything that is not inherited or genetic; it includes both the natural environment and our manmade environment.
The mechanisms of how environmental factors may affect our mental health were widely studied by experts; in particular, how physiological factors from the environment interact with the genetic bases of the individuals, with their vulnerabilities in particular, and ultimately, affect the person’s mental health. The results suggest that the mental health problems associated with environmental shortcomings are: feelings of loss and being in danger, anxiety, depressive disorders, sadness, personality disorders, PTSD, trauma, poor cognitive development, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, behavioural disorders, stress, ADHD, etc.
Good mental health and well-being require an optimal balance of mental, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual health.
This Special Issue's aim is to bring together new research and interventions helping to create and maintain a healthy, sustainable environment, thereby helping to maintain and constantly improve our mental health, which is so affected by multiple environmental factors.
Given the above, studies on the following topics, but are not limited to, are welcome:
- Social environment: socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and related conditions
- Lack of social support;
- Toxic relationships;
- Early loss of a parent;
- Family discord during childhood;
- Family conflicts;
- Divorce;
- Social stigma;
- History of physical or emotional abuse;
- Lack of spirituality or religious affiliation;
- Lack of meaningful work or hobbies;
- Lack of self-care and/or relaxation.
- Physical environmental factors include considerations such as:
- Smoking;
- Substance abuse;
- Air pollution;
- Exposure to toxins;
- Sleep disturbances and deprivation;
- Extreme weather conditions;
- Hazardous work conditions;
- Exposure to toxins during childhood.
- Work environment
- Rudeness, disrespect, aggressive behaviour, bullying;
- Unsuitable job content;
- Excessive workload;
- Under-use of skills or being under-skilled for work;
- Long, unsocial or inflexible hours;
- Unsafe working conditions;
- Limited support from colleagues or authoritarian supervision;
- Discrimination and exclusion;
- Unclear job role;
- Under- or over-promotion;
- Job insecurity, inadequate pay, or poor investment in career development;
- Conflicting home/work demands;
- Physical conditions at workplace: air quality, noise, lighting, etc.;
- Biological hazards (blood and other body fluids, fungi/ mold, bacteria and viruses, plants, insect bites, animal and bird droppings);
- Exposure to chemical materials;
- Hazardous equipment.
- Urbanization
- Lack of infrastructure;
- Inadequate housing conditions;
- Air pollution;
- Increased motor vehicle traffic;
- Unemployment;
- Increased violence;
- Overcrowded physical environment;
- Insecure tenure;
- Poor housing conditions;
- Noise;
- Urban building morphology.
- Nature
- Green space;
- Exposure/visits/ interaction to/with nature;
- Isolation from nature;
- Changes in nature;
- Outdoor exercise;
- Decline of contact with nature;
- Decreased access to nature/decreased outdoor spent time ;
- Increased time spent indoor;
- Working from home / home-office;
- Increased screen-time.
- Health policies related to the topic mental health in relationship with the environment.
In this Special Issue, the following type of papers is welcome: original research, review, brief research report, focused review, hypothesis and theory, perspective, data report, case report, or a community case study.
Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:
- Health psychology;
- Environmental Psychology;
- Social Work;
- Clinical psychology;
- Developmental Psychology;
- Educational Psychology;
- Health policies.
Multidisciplinary approaches are welcome.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Mona Vintilă
Prof. Dr. Cosmin Goian
Dr. Adelina Ștefănuț
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- health psychology
- mental health
- social environment
- physical environment
- work environment
- urbanization
- nature
- timely intervention
- multidirectional approach
- new technologies
- health policies
