Nature walks beat city strolls for beating the blues

NCT ID NCT06989801

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: University of Washington Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study looked at whether walking in nature reduces depressive symptoms more than walking in a city. 138 college students with mild to moderate depression were randomly assigned to take 30-minute walks twice a week for three weeks in either a natural or urban setting. Some nature walkers also got guided prompts to engage with their surroundings. The main goal was to see if nature walks led to greater drops in depression scores.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: nature walk
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a simple, free way to help ease depression symptoms in college students.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed study with only 138 participants. The effect may be modest or not apply to people with more severe depression.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS

Contacts and locations

Locations

Condon Hall

Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States
Merrill Hall

Seattle, Washington, 98105, United States

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