Bratman and Co-authors Use an RCT to Examine Susceptibility to Stress and Nature Exposure
Posted: 4/26/2024 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliate Gregory Bratman (College of the Environment) released research with colleagues in Plos One, entitled “Susceptibility to stress and nature exposure: Unveiling differential susceptibility to physical environments; a randomized controlled trial“. Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates nature exposure could be associated with greater health benefits among groups in lower versus higher socioeconomic positions. One possible mechanism underpinning this evidence is described by our framework: (susceptibility) adults in low socioeconomic positions face higher exposure to persistent psychosocial stressors in early life, inducing a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a lifelong susceptibility to stress; (differential susceptibility) susceptible adults are more sensitive to the health risks of adverse (stress-promoting) environments, but also to the health benefits of protective (stress-buffering) environments. This study serves as an experimental investigation of a pro-inflammatory phenotype as a mechanism facilitating greater stress recovery from nature exposure.