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Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review

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Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population. / Varadarajan, Suchithra; Herchet, Marilisa; Mack, Matthias et al.
In: Open Psychology, Vol. 7, No. 1, 20240003, 31.01.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review

Harvard

Varadarajan, S, Herchet, M, Mack, M, Hofmann, M, Bisle, E, Sayer, E & Kolassa, I-T 2025, 'Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population', Open Psychology, vol. 7, no. 1, 20240003. https://doi.org/10.1515/psych-2024-0003

APA

Varadarajan, S., Herchet, M., Mack, M., Hofmann, M., Bisle, E., Sayer, E., & Kolassa, I.-T. (2025). Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population. Open Psychology, 7(1), Article 20240003. https://doi.org/10.1515/psych-2024-0003

Vancouver

Varadarajan S, Herchet M, Mack M, Hofmann M, Bisle E, Sayer E et al. Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population. Open Psychology. 2025 Jan 31;7(1):20240003. Epub 2025 Jan 13. doi: 10.1515/psych-2024-0003

Author

Varadarajan, Suchithra ; Herchet, Marilisa ; Mack, Matthias et al. / Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure : An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population. In: Open Psychology. 2025 ; Vol. 7, No. 1.

Bibtex

@article{0f61c3e80ae7442c8a24bb4279a5ae1c,
title = "Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure: An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population",
abstract = "Globally, urbanization is associated with increased risk for physical and mental diseases. Among other factors, urban stressors (e.g. air pollution) are linked to these increased health risks (e.g. chronic respiratory diseases, depression). Emerging evidence indicates substantial health benefits of exposure to greenspaces in urban populations. However, there is a need for an overarching framework summarizing the plausible underlying biological factors linked to this effect, especially within the context of stress regulation. Therefore, by outlining the effects of greenspace exposure on stress parameters such as allostatic load, oxidative stress, mitochondria, and the microbiome, we conceptualize an integrated biopsychological framework to advance research into the salutogenic and stress-regulatory potential of greenspace exposure. In addition, we discuss the understudied potential health benefits of biogenic volatile organic compounds. Our perspective highlights the potential for innovative greenspace-based interventions to target stress reduction, and their prospect as add-ons to current psychotherapies to promote mental and physical health in urban populations.",
keywords = "greenspace-based interventions, mitochondria, greenspace exposure, gut microbiota, allostatic load, biogenic volatile organic compounds, BVOCs",
author = "Suchithra Varadarajan and Marilisa Herchet and Matthias Mack and Mathias Hofmann and Ellen Bisle and Emma Sayer and Iris-Tatjana Kolassa",
year = "2025",
month = jan,
day = "31",
doi = "10.1515/psych-2024-0003",
language = "English",
volume = "7",
journal = "Open Psychology",
issn = "2543-8883",
publisher = "de Gruyter",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Salutogenic Effects of Greenspace Exposure

T2 - An Integrated Biopsychological Perspective on Stress Regulation, Mental and Physical Health in the Urban Population

AU - Varadarajan, Suchithra

AU - Herchet, Marilisa

AU - Mack, Matthias

AU - Hofmann, Mathias

AU - Bisle, Ellen

AU - Sayer, Emma

AU - Kolassa, Iris-Tatjana

PY - 2025/1/31

Y1 - 2025/1/31

N2 - Globally, urbanization is associated with increased risk for physical and mental diseases. Among other factors, urban stressors (e.g. air pollution) are linked to these increased health risks (e.g. chronic respiratory diseases, depression). Emerging evidence indicates substantial health benefits of exposure to greenspaces in urban populations. However, there is a need for an overarching framework summarizing the plausible underlying biological factors linked to this effect, especially within the context of stress regulation. Therefore, by outlining the effects of greenspace exposure on stress parameters such as allostatic load, oxidative stress, mitochondria, and the microbiome, we conceptualize an integrated biopsychological framework to advance research into the salutogenic and stress-regulatory potential of greenspace exposure. In addition, we discuss the understudied potential health benefits of biogenic volatile organic compounds. Our perspective highlights the potential for innovative greenspace-based interventions to target stress reduction, and their prospect as add-ons to current psychotherapies to promote mental and physical health in urban populations.

AB - Globally, urbanization is associated with increased risk for physical and mental diseases. Among other factors, urban stressors (e.g. air pollution) are linked to these increased health risks (e.g. chronic respiratory diseases, depression). Emerging evidence indicates substantial health benefits of exposure to greenspaces in urban populations. However, there is a need for an overarching framework summarizing the plausible underlying biological factors linked to this effect, especially within the context of stress regulation. Therefore, by outlining the effects of greenspace exposure on stress parameters such as allostatic load, oxidative stress, mitochondria, and the microbiome, we conceptualize an integrated biopsychological framework to advance research into the salutogenic and stress-regulatory potential of greenspace exposure. In addition, we discuss the understudied potential health benefits of biogenic volatile organic compounds. Our perspective highlights the potential for innovative greenspace-based interventions to target stress reduction, and their prospect as add-ons to current psychotherapies to promote mental and physical health in urban populations.

KW - greenspace-based interventions

KW - mitochondria

KW - greenspace exposure

KW - gut microbiota

KW - allostatic load

KW - biogenic volatile organic compounds, BVOCs

U2 - 10.1515/psych-2024-0003

DO - 10.1515/psych-2024-0003

M3 - Review article

VL - 7

JO - Open Psychology

JF - Open Psychology

SN - 2543-8883

IS - 1

M1 - 20240003

ER -