A2 Review article, Literature review, Systematic review
Promoting Sustainable Well-Being Through Nature-Based Interventions for Young People in Precarious Situations : Implications for Social work : A Systematic Review (2023)

Obeng, J. K., Kangas, K., Stamm, I., & Tolvanen, A. (2023). Promoting Sustainable Well-Being Through Nature-Based Interventions for Young People in Precarious Situations : Implications for Social work : A Systematic Review. Journal of Happiness Studies, 24(8), 2881-2911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00683-x

JYU authors or editors

Obeng, James
Stamm, Ingo

Publication details

All authors or editors: Obeng, James Kutu; Kangas, Katja; Stamm, Ingo; Tolvanen, Anne

Journal or series: Journal of Happiness Studies

ISSN: 1389-4978

eISSN: 1573-7780

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 02/10/2023

Volume: 24

Issue number: 8

Pages range: 2881-2911

Publisher: Springer

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-023-00683-x

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/89376

Abstract

Precarious situations disproportionately affect the well-being of young people. Social workers are concerned with sustainable ways to improve young people’s well-being, and nature-based interventions are proposed as sustainable solutions. We used a systematic review approach to identify how nature-based interventions can promote sustainable well-being. A literature search generated 1753 results, from which 49 peer-reviewed articles were selected for analysis. Young people in precarious situations (i) had underlying social, emotional, and mental health needs that put them at risk of disengaging from education or employment and (ii) were not in education or employment. The most common intervention was wilderness therapy, followed by animal-assisted interventions, outdoor adventure interventions, horticultural interventions, care farming, environmental conservation, surfing therapy, and sustainable construction. The reviewed literature indicates that nature-based interventions promote sustainable well-being by (i) ensuring that well-being was interconnected with environmental, social, and economic sustainability, (ii) fostering connectedness with nature, and (iii) producing enduring outcomes. We further used the Having-Doing-Loving-Being model of sustainable well-being to interpret well-being outcomes, concluding that nature-based interventions enhance young people’s relationship with society and nature. Implications for social work include collaborating with other experts to implement nature-based interventions to address well-being problems, advocacy for the introduction of nature-based activities into schools and recognition of nature-based interventions as alternative avenues for meaningful participation.

Keywords: nature; intervention; young people; social work; sustainable development; well-being; health promotion; systematic reviews