An Evidenced-Based Study Of Using Surrogate Nature To Improve The Mental Wellness Of Chinese Blue Collar Workers

Issue addressed:The increase in mental health disorders amongst the Chinese migratory population necessitates the implementation of practices that goes beyond the basic labour standards.While nature-based interventions is gaining recognition as a credible pathway to preventing the onset of chronic mental health issues,little is understood about the use of images of nature as a surrogate for natural settings within an enclosed working environment.Methods:This thesis examines nature-based interventions from the anecdotal,theoretical and empirical perspectives.Based on the evidence reviewed,a set of image selection protocols is developed,eight images of nature based on the Characteristics of Eight Nature Garden Rooms(CENGR)are selected and tested for their validity using the psychological tool PANAS in providing mental restorativeness amongst the blue collar workers.Results:This study demonstrates that Chinese blue collar workers generally prefer wide open verdant spaces that are also inviting to stay.A small pocket of the population also seek highly stimulating,colorful visuals of nature over the more genteel images of nature.The two-way ANOVA analyses on the PANAS data confirms that the surrogate imagery is a viable option to help improve the mental wellness of the blue collar workers.Conclusions:Viewing imagery of nature constitutes a mental restoration strategy.Recommendations include encouraging respondents to take up gardening as a social life line before more powerful interventions are available,selecting images carefully to maintain realism in the enclosed environment and to conduct further research to investigate the preference for highly stimulating visuals amongst young migratory workers.