Anxiety meets nature: The role of nature in the relationship between socioeconomic status, anxiety and well-being

Abstract

People with lower subjective socioeconomic status are more prone to experiencing anxiety and poorer subjective well-being. Nature’s restorative ability can play an important role among this group, given that spending time outdoors is often associated with better overall mental health and well-being. In this study, we aim to explore the moderating effect of recent visits to green and blue natural spaces on the mediated relationship between subjective socioeconomic status, anxiety and subjective well-being. A nationally representative sample of 946 Portuguese respondents was recruited. Results showed that anxiety mediated the relationship between subjective socioeconomic status and subjective well-being. In addition, the mediation effect was weaker for those who visited natural spaces more frequently, suggesting that spending time in nature buffers against the anxiety associated with lower subjective socioeconomic status from translating into poorer subjective well-being. These findings highlight the importance of using nature as a cost-effective strategy to assist in mitigating the negative effects of low subjective socioeconomic status.