In a study, birdwatching provided a boost to the mental health of students

People who go birdwatching report lower psychological distress than those who do not, according to a study from researchers at N.C. State University.

Why it matters: The results, the authors note, are encouraging because birdwatching is considered an activity that many people can easily access — especially students who have reported an increase in mental health problems since the pandemic.

Context: 2023 was a particularly hard year for the N.C. State community, with 14 students dying during the school year from various causes, leading the university to rethink its approach to mental health on campus.

Zoom in: The study followed 112 N.C. State University students and staff members, splitting them into three groups: a control group, a group assigned to do nature walks and a group assigned to go birdwatching.

• Both the groups that did nature walks and birdwatching reported better scores for mental health than the control group — but birdwatching reported the highest scores.

What they're saying: "There has been a lot of research about well-being coming out through the pandemic that suggests adolescents and college-aged kids are struggling the most," Nils Peterson, an author of the study and a professor at N.C. State, said in a statement.

• "Bird watching is among the most ubiquitous ways that human beings interact with wildlife globally," he added, "and college campuses provide a pocket where there's access to that activity even in more urban settings."

Go deeper: Pulitzer-prize-winning writer Ed Yong on the benefits of birding