Photo credit: Svetlana Glazkova - stock.adobe.comA number of studies conducted around the globe have been released – including one based on the meta-analysis of 45 other studies – that provide compelling evidence of the benefits that RVers report reaping from time spent outdoors.
According to a study conducted recently by AllTrails and UnYoked, over 400 respondents who spent just two nights and three days camping “offline” reported a 16% reduction in burnout and a 12.7% improvement in overall wellbeing.
“RVers have long known the mental and emotional health benefits of spending time in the great outdoors,” said RV Industry Association CEO and President Craig Kirby. “Record numbers of others discovered this during the pandemic and the popularity of RVing and America’s parks and campgrounds today continues to reaffirm the desire for Americans to enjoy our country’s natural beauty.”
More than two thirds of the North American RVers who responded to the KOA 2024 Camping & Outdoor Hospitality Report on Outdoors and Wellness agreed that camping contributes to emotional well-being.
In Europe, an earlier study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that adults with high levels of childhood exposure to natural outdoors environments had, when compared to adults with low levels of childhood exposure to natural outdoors environments, significantly better mental health.
And according to a peer-reviewed meta-analysis by the University of Utah, published by Ecopsychology, exposure to nature resulted in statistically significant short-term improvements on mental health symptoms. The positive effects of nature appeared even greater for those participants diagnosed with mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder.
The analysis indicated that water-based outdoor spaces – rivers, lakes, oceans – and camping, farming and gardening activities had the greatest positive effect. Urban nature, mountains and forests also offered significant effects.
“As Americans are confronted with increasing stress-inducers, it is reassuring to know that the antidote can be found a short RV drive away in the great outdoors,” said Kirby.
