Restorative environments enhance mindfulness practice benefits in adolescents: Beyond nature vs. built

This study aimed to examined how environmental restorativeness influences the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions among adolescents. In a six-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention (30–40 min/week) experiment, 47 participants were randomly assigned to one of three environments with varying levels of restorativeness: a natural outdoor setting, an indoor setting with plants, and an indoor setting without plants. Results showed that mindfulness practice conducted in more restorative environments led to significantly greater improvements in mindfulness levels, emotional self-efficacy, and positive affect, along with more substantial reductions in negative emotional states. Among the environmental features assessed, extent emerged as the strongest predictor of mindfulness benefits. These results highlight the importance of environmental restorativeness in supporting mindfulness practice and suggest practical opportunities for enhancing psychological interventions through environmental design.