Exploring Young Adults' Relationship to Forest Visits in Sweden: A Grounded Theory Study with Implications for Policy Planning

Sammanfattning: Background: Mental illness is a significant public health issue among young adults in Sweden, who are also spending less time in nature despite its proven positive health effects. However, there is limited research on young adults’ relationship with forest visits from a mental health perspective. Aim and Research questions: This study aimed to explore young adults' experiences and perceptions of forest visits from a mental health perspective, and understand what aspects play a role in shaping their interest in forest visits. Furthermore, the aim was to provide an explanatory foundation based on the findings, for the design of preventive methods against mental illness through forest visits. Method: The study used qualitative constructivist Grounded Theory methodology as described by K. Charmaz and collected data from 10 focus group discussions with a total of 58 participants aged 16-25. Initial sampling focusing on sociodemographic factors was applied to achieve maximum variation in the sample. Additionally, theoretical sampling based on family and cultural background was further utilized throughout the analysis to achieve theoretical saturation. Results: The analysis found one core category and six themes that emerged from the data. Furthermore, the analysis found two conditional dimensions that were found to shape young adults’ interest and preferred interventions in connection with forest visits. An explanatory model was constructed as a final product of the analysis, where a reconstruction of the participants’ suggestions for interventions were plotted in relation to the two conditional dimensions. The core category revealed that young adults like the idea of being in the forest, but they rarely visit it. The six emerging themes aimed to support the core category and explain why this is the case. The two conditional dimensions to which suggested policy interventions were related were: the level of perceived familiarity with forests and the preferred degree of independence during forest visits. Conclusion: The study identifies emotional and material barriers that prevent young adults from visiting forests, despite experiencing positive health effects from doing so. The proposed measures to increase forest visits in this age group are presented through a two-dimensional explanatory model, which can be adapted to local contexts based on the level of familiarity and preferred independence of the target population. Variations in family and cultural background seemed to be connected to the conditional dimensions, in turn influencing the incentive for forest visits among young adults and thus the type of policy intervention preferred. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into Swedish young adults’ relationship with forest visits from a mental health perspective. The findings can serve as a theoretical foundation for future research and as a basis for preventive public health policies to address stress-related mental illness among young adults in Sweden.