Data Sheet 1_Does attention matter more than exposure? A pilot RCT of nature-based mindfulness for mental well-being and stress.pdf

This pilot randomized controlled trial examined a brief, structured nature-based mindfulness program’s effects on mental well-being, perceived stress, and nature connectedness relative to an unstructured outdoor walking control. Participants (N = 35) were randomly assigned to daily 15-min guided nature-based mindfulness sessions or daily unstructured outdoor walks over 2 weeks.

Point estimates favored the intervention group for mental well-being and perceived stress, but neither group difference reached statistical significance, and the sample was well below what would be needed to detect effects of this magnitude with adequate power. Participants with lower baseline mental well-being achieved greater gains in the intervention group than participants with higher baseline well-being, an advantage not observed in the control group.