Examining the Relationship Between Greenspace and Substance Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Scoping Review

Abstract

The beneficial effects of greenspace on mental health supports the exploration of greenspace in the prevention and treatment of substance use and substance use disorder (SUD) among adolescents and young adults. This scoping review aimed to summarize associations between greenspace and substance use and SUD among adolescents and young adults, describe how greenspace is being measured and operationalized, and identify differential effects among subpopulations and geographic contexts. Following PRISMA recommendations, 15 articles were screened into the scoping review and data was extracted from each article. Adolescents and young adults who experienced guided activities in nature reported less substance use, while passive engagement in nature was associated with increased substance use. Recommendations for future research are provided to untangle these effects to develop evidence-based practices for the inclusion of nature exposure in substance use prevention and SUD intervention with adolescents and young adults.