I've been having a look for links between emotional regulation and the environment and found this study which points to peoples' 'favourite places' (51% were natural settings) which benefit those suffering from what are mild somewhat psychosomatic ailments. This is mainly thought to be due to the familiar and less stressful/demanding nature of such areas which allows people to regain control of their emotional life. Not a well-controlled study but an example of how the value of the environment can be estimated through an analysis of information relating place and the associated affect.
Abstract
Visiting favourite natural settings may serve as a resource for regulating negative feelings and coping with perceived stress. The authors investigated the association between perceived health, the selection and experiential qualities of favourite places in four residential areas; 211 respondents (average age 40 years) responded to the questionnaire. Respondents with a certain amount of health complaints, such as headaches, chest or stomach pains, and faintness or dizziness, were more likely to select natural favourite places than those with few complaints. Respondents with health complaints benefited more in emotional terms from their visits to the favourite place although they did not visit their places more frequently than others. The change toward positive feelings was associated in particular with natural favourite places and relaxing in them. The results give impetus to research on the self-regulation of mood and neighbourhood context in health.
Korpela et al. (2007)
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