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The Effects of Exercise and Social Interaction in Different Natural Environments on the Mental Health of Urban Residents

Background: Together with the rapid development of China’s economy, the number of urban residents suffering from depression and psychological disorders has been increasing as a result of the general increase in life stress. As a consequence, this study investigates the effects on users’ mental health through exercise and social interaction in three different outdoor natural landscapes, and provides theoretical and practical guidance for urban landscape planning and design. Methods: In this study, pre- and post-DASS21 (depression, anxiety and stress) data were obtained by using the DASS21 scale (used to assess depression, anxiety, and stress) to test a population of users performing simple exercise and social interactions in three natural environments, and the data scale values were statistically analyzed using SPSS. Results: (1) In the natural outdoor environment within the community, there was a relationship between the outdoor environment and perceived atmospheric temperature, with (single) and (group) perceived outdoor temperatures in the community having smaller effects on the mood of community residents; (2) After analyzing the data by descriptive statistics (p < 0.05), it was found that there was a slight change in the mean scores both before the participants climbed Yuelu Mountain and after they reached the summit; the mean scores of stress, anxiety, and depression decreased after they reached the summit, and the condition improved; (3) There was a slight change in the mean of both scores before the departure to and after the return from the Tongguan Kiln attractions, with a slight improvement in the condition after the return of the stress and depression mean scores. Conclusions: Enhancing social relationships through exercise and social interaction in a natural environment in different populations significantly increases the benefits for mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) and assists recovery from stress-related mental disorders. Different landscape types and landscape attribute characteristics have different effects on urban residents’ preferences and mental health. Rich natural landscapes, providing green exercise environments, and t social interactions have positive effects on the mental health of urban residents. Especially in environments where the change in altitude is around 200 m, climbing is very beneficial to psychological emotions.