Psychological factors that influence the nature-health relationship in the agricultural industry; insights for providing more effective mental health support to farmers

Despite widespread evidence supporting the positive effects of nature on mental health, individuals working in the agricultural sector, particularly farmers, often experience elevated levels of psychological distress. This paper examines the apparent paradox wherein close physical proximity to nature does not always translate into psychological benefit for farmers. Drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Biophilia Hypothesis (Fromm, 1973), Attention Restoration Theory (Kaplan and Kaplan, 1989), and Stress Reduction Theory (Ulrich, 1991), the study explores how occupational, cognitive, and emotional factors mediate the nature–health relationship in agricultural contexts. Key psychological mechanisms such as occupational identity, cognitive dissonance, emotional attachment to land, social isolation, and locus of control are explored to explain how farmers may become disconnected from nature, despite frequent exposure. The paper highlights how environmental stressors, shifting climate dynamics, and deeply embedded cultural narratives around resilience and self-sufficiency can limit the restorative potential of natural surroundings. Recommendations are made for adapting mental health interventions to be more context-sensitive, emphasising the importance of subjective nature connectedness, social capital, and adaptive psychological strategies. The findings underscore the need for a reconceptualisation of nature-based mental health support for farming populations that acknowledges both the symbolic and stress-laden meanings nature holds in this unique occupational setting.