Loneliness is increasingly recognized as an urgent public health issue due to its impact on mental and physical health, and well-being. Yet, we lack comprehensive, proven strategies for confronting this global problem. There is evidence that contact with nature and greenspace reduces loneliness by facilitating belonging, social connections, and social cohesion. This review aimed to explore whether such positive outcomes can be enhanced via group-based interventions in nature. We used a mixed-methods systematic review approach to evaluate and characterize literature on nature-based social interventions for their effectiveness in reducing loneliness. We included all age groups, in populations with or without reported health problems. Using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool, we assessed the quality of included qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies. The 38 studies identified describe a wide variety of interventions and target groups. The quantitative studies included mostly small sample sizes with small or moderate effects. The qualitative studies, however, showed more clearly that these interventions can reduce loneliness. Group-based activities including natural elements cultivated connectedness and belonging, which are key mechanisms to reducing loneliness. Specifically, longer interventions showed greater promise. Policy and practice recommendations include loneliness screening, the need to describe loneliness more precisely, and the need to evaluate intervention effectiveness over time. This review provides perspectives to inform policymakers, urban planners, and researchers on how group-based interventions in nature can alleviate feelings of loneliness. By linking landscapes with public health concerns, municipalities can further promote and amplify the value of urban nature to the public.

中文翻译：

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通过自然进行联系：对基于自然的社会处方实践对抗孤独感的有效性进行系统回顾

由于孤独对身心健康和福祉的影响，人们越来越认识到孤独是一个紧迫的公共卫生问题。然而，我们缺乏全面、行之有效的战略来应对这一全球性问题。有证据表明，与自然和绿色空间的接触可以促进归属感、社会联系和社会凝聚力，从而减少孤独感。本综述旨在探讨是否可以通过基于群体的自然干预措施来增强这种积极成果。我们使用混合方法的系统评价方法来评估和描述基于自然的社会干预措施在减少孤独感方面的有效性的文献。我们纳入了所有年龄组、有或没有报告健康问题的人群。我们使用混合方法评估工具评估了定性、定量和混合方法研究的质量。确定的 38 项研究描述了各种各样的干预措施和目标群体。定量研究大多涉及小样本，影响较小或中等。然而，定性研究更清楚地表明，这些干预措施可以减少孤独感。包括自然元素在内的群体活动培养了联系和归属感，这是减少孤独感的关键机制。具体来说，较长的干预措施显示出更大的希望。政策和实践建议包括孤独筛查、更准确地描述孤独的需要以及随着时间的推移评估干预效果的需要。这篇综述为政策制定者、城市规划者和研究人员提供了有关基于群体的自然干预措施如何减轻孤独感的观点。通过将景观与公共卫生问题联系起来，市政当局可以进一步向公众宣传和扩大城市自然的价值。