Sometimes the Best Mental Health Intervention Isn't Therapy. It's People, Places, and Everyday Life.

What new research on nature, social connection, and well-being tells us about the importance of looking beyond the individual.

By Dr. Bob Carey

We have become very accustomed to thinking about mental health in terms of what is happening within the individual. When someone is experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, or difficulty coping with everyday life, our attention quite naturally turns toward their thoughts, emotions, behaviour, and ability to manage the demands being placed upon them. We consider whether counselling might be helpful, whether medication is indicated, or whether the person needs to develop better coping strategies or emotional regulation skills. These are all legitimate and often important considerations, but I have long believed that our understanding of mental health becomes unnecessarily limited when we focus too narrowly on the individual and overlook the circumstances in which that person is trying to function.

A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology provides an interesting illustration of why this broader perspective matters. Freeman and colleagues (2026) examined the relationship between time spent in nature, social interaction, and psychological well-being among college students. What makes their findings particularly relevant is the suggestion that some of the factors that protect and promote mental health may already be available within ordinary everyday environments, and that we may simply need to become more intentional about how we bring them together. Rather than always looking for additional clinical interventions or specialized programs, perhaps we should be paying greater attention to the relationships, activities, and environments that make up people's daily lives.

Freeman et al. (2026) examined the experiences of 285 college students using seven daily diaries in which participants reported how much time they spent in natural environments, whether they were alone or socializing during those experiences, and how they were feeling in terms of positive and negative emotions, daily stress, and subjective physical health. The findings were particularly interesting because, on days when participants spent a greater proportion of their time in nature socializing with other people, they tended to remain outdoors longer and reported greater positive affect, lower daily stress, and better subjective physical health. These associations were observed within individuals across different days, suggesting that students generally reported more favourable outcomes on days when they spent more of their nature time socializing compared with their own usual patterns. The researchers did not find significant differences between individuals on the well-being measures, nor did they find a significant association between socializing in nature and negative affect.

It is important to recognize that this was an observational study and therefore does not establish that socializing in nature directly caused improvements in mental or physical health. Students who were already feeling better may have been more inclined to spend time outdoors with friends, and other factors, including the quality of their relationships and the activities in which they participated, may also have contributed to the findings. Nevertheless, the research raises some worthwhile questions about the way we understand psychological well-being and the possibility that the benefits associated with certain activities may be influenced by the combination of individual, social, and environmental factors that accompany those activities.

Consider two university students who each spend an hour outdoors after a particularly stressful day. One walks alone through a local park, perhaps listening to music or thinking about an upcoming examination, while the other meets a friend and spends the same hour walking along a trail, talking about the day, laughing about something that happened in class, and making plans for the weekend. Both students may benefit from the physical activity, change of scenery, and temporary separation from academic demands, but the second student has also experienced companionship, emotional support, shared enjoyment, and an opportunity to feel connected to another person. The experience has involved more than simply spending an hour outdoors because the relationship between the individuals and the nature of the activity have become important parts of the overall experience.

This does not mean that walking alone is somehow less valuable, since for some individuals, particularly those who are socially overwhelmed or emotionally exhausted, spending time alone in nature may be exactly what is needed. Rather, the example illustrates that the value of an activity cannot always be understood by looking at the activity itself. Its impact may depend on who is participating, what that person needs at the time, who else is involved, and how the environment supports or interferes with the experience. This is one of the fundamental principles underlying Positive Systems Approach (PSA), which emphasizes that human behaviour and well-being are influenced by an ongoing interaction between the characteristics of the individual and the systems within which that individual lives.

One of the concerns I have had over the years is that we sometimes become so focused on identifying and treating psychological difficulties that we overlook the therapeutic potential of ordinary experiences. A child who is anxious may be referred for counselling, an adolescent who is socially withdrawn may be encouraged to participate in a structured social skills program, and an adult experiencing stress may be advised to develop better coping strategies. These interventions may be entirely appropriate, and there are certainly many circumstances in which professional treatment is necessary. However, I wonder whether our increasing emphasis on formal intervention has sometimes led us to underestimate the importance of everyday experiences that contribute to emotional well-being.

A child who struggles with friendships may benefit from opportunities to play regularly with one or two accepting peers in an environment where social interaction develops naturally. An adolescent experiencing anxiety may find that walking with a trusted friend after school provides an opportunity to talk about difficult experiences without the pressure of being asked directly to explain how they feel. Similarly, an older adult who has become increasingly isolated may benefit from regular participation in a walking group, community garden, or neighbourhood activity. None of these experiences necessarily involves a therapist or formal intervention plan, yet each has the potential to provide something important to psychological well-being, including connection, belonging, enjoyment, physical activity, and a sense of participation in the world.

Perhaps we need to become more comfortable recognizing that promoting mental health is not always about introducing something new into a person's life, but may instead involve identifying what is missing from their everyday experiences and helping to create conditions in which those needs can be met. This is particularly relevant when we consider the distinction between treating an existing mental health condition and creating the circumstances that support psychological well-being. Although these objectives are related, they are not necessarily the same, and I would suggest that our attention to the former has sometimes overshadowed the importance of the latter.

In my previous writing about Positive Systems Approach, I have emphasized the importance of examining both the seven Individual Factors and seven System Factors that influence behaviour and well-being. These provide a framework for understanding why people respond differently to similar circumstances and why efforts to support an individual may be more effective when we also consider the environments in which that person functions. Individual factors may involve cognitive abilities, emotional functioning, communication, physical health, sensory experiences, and previous learning, while system factors direct our attention toward relationships, expectations, routines, environmental conditions, available supports, and opportunities for meaningful participation. The important consideration is that these influences do not operate independently, and a person's response to a particular situation often depends on how their individual characteristics interact with the circumstances in which they find themselves.

For example, a child who has difficulty regulating emotions may struggle in a noisy, demanding environment but function quite comfortably in a quieter setting where expectations are predictable and supportive adults are available. Similarly, a person experiencing anxiety may respond very differently depending on whether they are surrounded by unfamiliar people or spending time with someone they trust. In these situations, the individual has not fundamentally changed, but the interaction between the person and the environment has changed, often with important consequences for how that person feels and behaves. The study by Freeman and colleagues provides another illustration of how naturally occurring differences in everyday experiences may be associated with changes in psychological well-being.

I find these ideas especially relevant when considering the difficulties that children and families experience. In my work over the years, I have frequently encountered situations in which family life has gradually become organized around managing problems. Parents are understandably concerned about homework completion, emotional outbursts, school attendance, social difficulties, excessive screen time, or the child's ability to meet everyday expectations. As these concerns increase, family interactions can become increasingly focused on correction, supervision, negotiation, and conflict, with parents spending much of their time reminding children what they need to do and attempting to prevent the next problem from occurring. Children, in turn, may begin to associate interactions with adults primarily with demands, criticism, or expectations that they find difficult to meet.

Over time, opportunities for parents and children to simply enjoy being together may become less frequent, not because anyone has deliberately chosen to eliminate them, but because the demands of managing everyday difficulties have gradually taken over family life. Imagine a family with a 10-year-old child who has ADHD and experiences frequent conflict with parents over homework, chores, and screen time. The family has tried various behavioural strategies with limited success, and everyone has become frustrated by the frequency of arguments. Now imagine that the family begins setting aside time each weekend for an activity that the child genuinely enjoys, perhaps exploring a local trail, riding bicycles, visiting a beach, or walking the family dog together. Rather than using the activity as another opportunity to teach skills or reinforce compliance, the parents make a conscious effort to create an experience in which everyone can relax and enjoy spending time together without the usual emphasis on demands and correction.

During these outings, the parents may discover that their child is more relaxed, more conversational, and more willing to engage with them, while the child may begin to experience the parents as companions rather than people who are constantly monitoring performance or correcting behaviour. Over time, these experiences may contribute to a different pattern of interaction within the family, creating opportunities for more positive relationships and reducing some of the tension that has developed around everyday responsibilities. A weekly family outing will certainly not eliminate ADHD, resolve a learning disability, or address every source of family conflict, but it may help create a more supportive emotional environment in which other interventions become more effective. From a Positive Systems Approach perspective, the important consideration is that we are not necessarily trying to change the child directly, but are modifying aspects of the family system that influence the child's experiences and behaviour.

There is another aspect of this discussion that deserves attention because it would be easy to interpret the research as suggesting that everyone should spend more time outdoors socializing with other people. Although this may be beneficial for many individuals, such a recommendation would overlook the very principle that makes the findings interesting from a systems perspective. Different people experience the same environments in very different ways, and an activity that is enjoyable and restorative for one individual may be uncomfortable, exhausting, or even distressing for another.

For a child with autism who experiences significant sensory sensitivities, a crowded playground may be overwhelming rather than enjoyable, while an adolescent with social anxiety may find that being encouraged to join a large outdoor group increases distress rather than reducing it. An individual experiencing depression may lack the energy or motivation to participate in activities that previously brought enjoyment. Consequently, the objective should not be to prescribe a particular environment or activity and assume that it will produce the same benefits for everyone, but rather to understand the individual well enough to identify the circumstances under which positive experiences are most likely to occur. For one person, this might involve spending time outdoors with a single trusted friend, while for another it might mean joining a small walking group where relationships develop gradually and there is no expectation of immediate personal disclosure.

The research also invites us to think more carefully about what we mean by social connection, because being physically present with other people does not necessarily mean that someone feels connected, supported, or accepted. A person can experience profound loneliness in a crowded room, just as they can feel deeply connected during a quiet conversation with one trusted friend. This is particularly important when considering children and adolescents who experience difficulties with peer relationships, since simply increasing opportunities for social interaction may not be helpful if those interactions involve rejection, bullying, misunderstanding, or repeated experiences of failure.

A child who struggles with unstructured playground activities might do considerably better when interacting with another child around a shared interest, such as building something, exploring nature, or participating in a cooperative game. The activity provides a natural focus for interaction, reducing some of the pressure to initiate conversation or interpret complex social cues. The same principle applies to adults who find traditional social gatherings uncomfortable but may feel more at ease participating in a community gardening project, volunteering for an environmental organization, or joining a recreational walking group. In these situations, the shared activity creates a reason to be together, allowing relationships to develop naturally rather than making social interaction the sole focus of the experience.

One of the central messages I have tried to communicate through Positive Systems Approach is that meaningful change does not always require us to focus directly on the behaviour or difficulty that concerns us. When someone is experiencing emotional or behavioural difficulties, we naturally want to understand what is happening within that person and identify ways to help them cope more effectively. However, an equally important question involves examining what is happening in the person's life and considering whether changes to their everyday circumstances might make those difficulties easier to manage.

Consider a young adult who has recently moved away from home to attend university and is experiencing increasing stress, difficulty sleeping, and feelings of loneliness. A traditional individual-focused approach might emphasize stress management techniques, improved sleep habits, or counselling to address anxious thoughts, and these may all be useful. However, a broader assessment might reveal that the student spends most of the day alone, has not developed meaningful friendships, rarely participates in recreational activities, and moves almost exclusively between a residence room, classrooms, and the library. Under these circumstances, it would seem reasonable to consider whether changes in the student's everyday environment and opportunities for social participation might contribute to improved well-being.

Perhaps joining a recreational group, establishing a regular routine of walking with classmates, or participating in an outdoor activity would provide opportunities for connection, enjoyment, and relief from academic pressures. The objective would not be to replace professional mental health services when they are needed, but to recognize that individual treatment may be more effective when the person's broader life circumstances also support psychological well-being. This is especially important because many of the conditions that contribute to emotional distress, including social isolation, limited opportunities for meaningful activity, stressful environments, and a lack of supportive relationships, cannot always be resolved simply by teaching people to think differently or cope more effectively.

The concept of protective factors is well established in psychology, and we know that supportive relationships, meaningful activities, physical health, a sense of belonging, and opportunities for positive experiences can help people manage stress and cope with adversity. What interests me about the study by Freeman and colleagues is the possibility that several of these protective factors can come together within a single ordinary experience. A walk with a friend may involve physical activity, exposure to a natural environment, companionship, conversation, and a temporary break from everyday demands, while a family outing may provide opportunities for shared enjoyment, positive attention, movement, and a change from routines that have become associated with conflict.

Similarly, a community gardening program may offer social connection, purposeful activity, time outdoors, and the satisfaction of contributing to something meaningful. These activities are not guaranteed to improve mental health, and they should certainly not be treated as substitutes for necessary clinical care, but they illustrate how protective factors can be incorporated into the ordinary environments in which people live. Rather than viewing psychological well-being as something that is promoted primarily through specialized services, we might benefit from paying greater attention to the everyday circumstances that provide people with opportunities to experience connection, competence, enjoyment, and a sense of belonging.

Of course, not everyone has equal access to the kinds of environments and activities that may support psychological well-being. Families may face financial pressures, demanding work schedules, transportation difficulties, or other barriers that make participation in recreational and community activities difficult. Some neighbourhoods have limited access to safe parks and green spaces, while others may lack affordable programs or inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities or additional support needs. This is another reason that a systems perspective is so important, because it is not enough to tell people that they should spend more time outdoors or become more socially connected if the environments around them make these experiences difficult to access.

Schools, municipalities, community organizations, and service providers all have a potential role in creating environments where positive experiences are more readily available. Safe neighbourhood parks, inclusive recreational programs, welcoming community spaces, and opportunities for affordable family activities are not simply amenities that make communities more pleasant places to live, but may also contribute to the conditions that support psychological well-being. When we think about mental health in this way, the conversation begins to extend beyond individual treatment and into the broader organization of everyday life.

Perhaps one of the most useful implications of this research is that it encourages us to ask different questions when trying to understand and support someone's well-being. Instead of focusing exclusively on symptoms, coping skills, or problematic behaviour, we might also want to understand what an ordinary day looks like for that person. Who do they spend time with, and do they have relationships in which they feel comfortable and accepted? Are there opportunities to participate in activities they genuinely enjoy, and are there environments where they feel relaxed, competent, and connected? How much of their daily experience involves demands, expectations, and stress compared with opportunities for enjoyment and positive interaction?

For families, this might involve considering whether there are regular opportunities for parents and children to spend time together without the interaction becoming focused on correction or performance. For schools, it might mean examining whether students have access to supportive peer relationships and environments that encourage both physical activity and social connection. For adults, particularly those experiencing loneliness or significant life transitions, it might involve exploring whether everyday routines provide meaningful opportunities for participation and belonging. These questions do not replace clinical assessment or treatment, but they broaden our understanding of the circumstances that influence psychological well-being and remind us that emotional health is shaped by much more than what happens within the individual.

The findings from Freeman et al. (2026) remind us that the benefits of an experience may be influenced by several factors operating together, and that the relationship between an individual, other people, the physical environment, and the activity itself can be an important consideration when trying to understand what contributes to well-being. From a Positive Systems Approach perspective, this reinforces the importance of looking at the whole situation rather than isolating one element and assuming that it explains everything. The individual brings particular needs, abilities, preferences, and vulnerabilities to an experience, while other people contribute relationships, support, and opportunities for connection. The physical environment can make an experience more or less comfortable and enjoyable, while the activity itself provides purpose, structure, and opportunities for participation.

I find something particularly encouraging about this perspective because it reminds us that improving mental health does not always require the introduction of another formal program, another specialized intervention, or another set of expectations for people who may already be feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes meaningful support can begin with something as ordinary as a walk with a friend, an afternoon at the park, a family bicycle ride, or an opportunity to participate in an enjoyable community activity. Although these experiences may seem relatively insignificant when compared with formal mental health treatment, they can contribute to the relationships, routines, and environments that make everyday life more manageable and rewarding.

Ultimately, this is what Positive Systems Approach has always encouraged us to consider. Rather than viewing emotional and behavioural difficulties as problems that exist solely within the individual, we need to understand how people function within the broader systems that shape their experiences. When those systems become more supportive, individuals may have greater opportunities to succeed, connect with others, and experience a better quality of life. The research by Freeman and colleagues provides another useful reminder that psychological well-being is influenced not only by what happens within us, but also by the people with whom we share our lives, the places where we spend our time, and the opportunities we have to participate in meaningful and enjoyable experiences.

Perhaps one of the most important contributions we can make to mental health, therefore, is not simply to help people become better at coping with difficult circumstances, but also to create everyday environments and relationships that make those circumstances less difficult in the first place.

Reference

Freeman, S. Z., Wilson, C. L., Hopkins, J. L., Quintana, S., Lindstrom, A. K., & Ranby, K. W. (2026). Socializing in nature: Daily links to increased time outdoors, positive affect, and reduced stress among college students. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 114, Article 103142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103142