Nature-Deficit Disorder

Feeling restless? Moody? Distracted? A possible solution waits just outside your door.

Futurist Richard Louv has released his seventh book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Its basic premise is that children are not spending enough time outdoors, and this lack of regular contact with nature is negatively affecting their overall health. Louv wrote a related article for Orion Magazine. In this excerpt from "Nature Deficit" (Orion, July/August 2005), he describes studies which have found contact with nature helpful in lessening ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) manifestations:

"In ongoing studies by the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, researchers have discovered tantalizing evidence for a new view of the syndrome [ADHD]. In a 2004 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the laboratory found that children as young as five showed a significant reduction in ADHD symptoms when they engaged with nature.

"Parents and guardians were asked to identify after-school or weekend activities that left their children functioning particularly well or poorly. The study measured responses to two types of activities: those in green landscapes—such as grassy backyards, parks, and farmland—and those in indoor playgrounds and paved recreation areas. The researchers designed the study to account for any effects of physical exercise so they could measure only the influence of green settings. They also factored out age, gender, family income, geographic region, size of community, and the severity of diagnosis.

"In fifty-four of fifty-six cases, outdoor activities in more natural settings led to a greater reduction in ADHD symptoms than activities in less natural areas. The only instances when symptoms worsened occurred in the artificial environments. In a related experiment, the laboratory found that children could focus on specific tasks better in green settings."

I want to take this one step further. Adults aren't getting enough time outdoors either. Adults need nature just as much as children do. There are plenty of adults with ADHD who either had it as children and still have it or have developed it as adults because of constant media bombardment, a toxic diet, lack of sleep or all of this combined.

But how easily is nature accessed these days? Many adults live in big cities, work in offices from 8AM - 6PM and beyond, and commute via subway, train or bus to and from. This is a nature-deprivation schedule. For weeks at a time, especially during winter months, the only nature many people see are potted plants in their workplace lobbies.

To purchase Last Child in the Woods from Amazon.com, go here.