Benefits of Outdoor Walks in Reducing Depressive Symptoms

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · May 22, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is exploring whether walking outdoors, either in urban settings or natural environments, can help reduce feelings of depression in college students. The study will compare three groups: one will walk in a city area, another will walk in nature, and the third will walk in nature with specific activities to engage them more. Participants will walk for 30 minutes, twice a week for three weeks, and will fill out questionnaires and have interviews to share their experiences.

To take part in this study, you need to be a college student in Seattle, over 18 years old, and have some signs of depression. You should also have good vision and no history of serious mental health issues. Importantly, this study is not for those currently receiving psychiatric treatment or counseling. If you join, you’ll not only contribute to important research, but you might also find that spending time outdoors helps improve your mood!

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • College students in Seattle
• • Aged over 18.
• • Having depressive symptoms with self-rated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scored higher than 5.
• • Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity.
• • No identified hearing impairment.
• • No history of neurological or mental disorders.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Receiving clinical psychiatric treatment or psychological counseling.
• • Failing in providing consent form.