The effect of nature exposure, nature connectedness on mental well-being and ill-being in a general Chinese population

Exposure to nature is associated with various mental health benefits. Nature connectedness (NC), a psychological construct that measures individuals’ subjective sense of connection to nature, is found to influence the relationship between nature exposure and mental health, including well-being and ill-being. However, studies from non-Western cultures have only examined either nature exposure and mental health or NC and mental health, with little research investigating the relationship among all three in a single study. Based on a face-to-face survey in Guangzhou (N = 863), this study investigates the relationship among nature exposure (greenspace visitation frequency, duration, and greenspace accessibility), NC, and mental well-being and ill-being. Based on the results, NC is stronger than nature exposure in predicting mental well-being, while greenspace visitation frequency and duration are stronger than NC in predicting ill-being. Having a higher-than-average NC is associated with a 7% increase in feelings of worthwhileness, a 6.4% increase in life satisfaction, and a 2.5% decrease in depression risk. NC could function as both mediator and moderator, depending on the specific nature exposure–mental health link examined. Future studies are required to understand the complex interaction of nature exposure, NC, and mental health. Our study indicates that a shift in policymaking to enhance NC is recommended to achieve the related psychological benefits. To this end, research on the influencing factors of NC (e.g., characteristics of nature experiences) and effective interventions to cultivate NC are required.