The calming effects of birdsong and the health benefits of a walk in the woods have now been found to provide a refuge for students suffering from anxiety and stress in the computer age.
Research into what the Japanese call “forest bathing” has in the past been directed at adults and the benefits derived from exposure to nature as a whole.
Now researchers in the United States have looked at how under-pressure students can benefit from not just immersion in the world of nature but specifically from the activity of bird-watching. They wanted to see how birding, could improve the psychological well-being of the younger generation in general, and university students in particular.
Birding was chosen by researchers at the University of North Carolina because it was deemed to be an easy activity to engage in. Birds are ubiquitous, always close at hand in the grounds of a university campus or in a back garden and to study them requires minimum equipment, a field guide and a cheap pair of binoculars.
As part of the experiment, 100 students were divided into two groups – those indulging in a birding exercise once a week and the other choosing to sit at their computer screens.
The benefits of exposure to nature might have been expected but for the first time the value of bird-watching specifically has been quantified. The results are truly amazing in terms of not just physical but mental health.
The study measured psychological distress levels in the two control groups and found the bird-watching group had lower anxiety and were less stressed. The students’ spirits were lifted by the sight of American species like the eastern bluebird.
As part of the study reported in the Journal of Environmental Psychology last month, the researchers designed a 30-minute bird-watching walk. The experiment built on research among adults in other parts of the world suggesting that exposure to birds may be more influential than other forms of nature.
Across Europe, observing birds is associated with increased life satisfaction. Similarly, self-reported mental health was higher in the European Union during bouts of birdwatching and among residents of the Chinese capital, Beijing, who reported birding as a regular and beneficial activity. In Britain, bird-watching was also found to be helpful in the treatment of depression.
Listening to birdsong has also been linked to perceptions of lower stress and greater concentration in other activities, even work. And in Poland, nature lovers who were more committed to birdwatching reported more psychological restoration than from other outdoor activities.
In a research program involving pensioners, birdwatching helped improve psychological outcomes for nursing home patients in the Unted States, as well as mental health professionals.
Birding has also been found as a gateway to making new friends, either in birding organisations or in supporting wildlife conservation initiatives, which supports human well-being.