Nature relatedness, campus green space and time spent in nature as predictive variables of college students' mental well-being

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the differences on mental well-being and nature relatedness in terms of demographic characteristics and to examine the predictive role of nature relatedness, time spent in nature and SES on mental well- being of Turkish college students. This study also aims to examine the effects of campus green spaces on college students' well-being by questioning spent time within campus greenery, usage patterns and obstacles. Convenience sampling method was used, 442 participants were achieved. After excluding outliers and missing values the final sample composed of 404 participants (103 males, 301 females). Turkish versions of Nature Relatedness Scale (NR-21), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), sociodemographic form and campus green space form which were specifically designed by the researcher were used for data collection. Independent t- test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were conducted. The results indicated that mental well-being scores were statistically different with respect to gender, employment and marital status. There was also a statistically significant difference within nature relatedness scores in terms of gender. It was also found that a considerable number of students did not have any greenery at their campus area. Single students used campus green spaces more than married students. The most common activities which were held in campus greenery were the activities about socialization and relaxation. The most common obstacles about campus greenery were limited green areas, being busy and unfavorable weather conditions. Correlation analysis indicated that there is a statistically significant and positive relationship between nature relatedness, time spent in nature and mental well-being. The regression analysis indicated that nature relatedness, time spent in nature and gender differences explained 14% variances of mental well-being and their contribution to well-being scores was significant. In the light of these findings, there will be some practical implications for counselors, university administers and future research projects to consider the positive effects of nature on students' mental well-being.