Heidi Schreiber-Pan's dissertation, titled "Well-being with Nature in Mind: Connectedness to Nature and the Role of Spirituality in Predicting Well-Being and Resilience," explores the relationship between connectedness to nature, spirituality, and psychological well-being. The study investigates whether a person's connection to nature affects their resilience and overall psychological well-being and examines the role of spirituality in this relationship.

Key points from the dissertation:

1. Connectedness to Nature: Defined as the extent to which an individual includes nature within their self-concept. The study uses the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS) and the Nature Relatedness Scale (NRS) to measure this connection.

   
   
   
   

2. Psychological Well-Being: Assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resiliency Scale (CD-RISC) and the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB). The study finds a significant correlation between connectedness to nature and psychological well-being.

   
   
   
   

3. Spirituality: Measured using the Spiritual Transcendence Scale (STS) and the Sanctification Scale. Spirituality is shown to be positively correlated with connectedness to nature. The study highlights two constructs of spirituality: transcendence and sanctification.

   
   
   
   

4. Mediation by Spirituality: The study explores spirituality as a mediator in the relationship between connectedness to nature and psychological well-being. Findings suggest that spiritual transcendence partially mediates this relationship.

   
   
   
   

5. Research Findings: The analysis indicates that while connectedness to nature significantly correlates with psychological well-being, it does not correlate with resilience. Spirituality, however, predicts well-being variables beyond connectedness to nature.

   
   
   
   

6. Implications: The findings emphasize the mental health and spiritual benefits of a deep connection with nature and suggest the importance of spirituality in enhancing psychological well-being through nature connectedness. The dissertation discusses the implications for clinicians and counseling educators, proposing that integrating nature into therapeutic practices can have significant benefits.

Overall, Schreiber-Pan's work confirms the value of nature connectedness for mental health and highlights the substantial role of spirituality in this relationship.