I can see both sides of this argument: On the one hand, being confronted with ecological devastation via one's vocation can cause them to lose hope: http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/10/28/biosci.biw142.1.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=e8O5ibKwHqYn9qn On the other hand, being outside can be therapeutic: http://www.healinglandscapes.org/ I mostly wanted to respond to this inquiry because I am a huge fan of this latter website/research group
On Sun, Nov 20, 2016 at 8:31 AM, Luis J. Villanueva <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I wonder whether ecologists, who may get to spend more time outside ("in >> nature"), are less susceptible to depression than researchers in other >> fields. > > Why? This seems to be based on an idea that nature cures all or that we all > derive healing from nature. I spent tons of time in the field, it didn't > help. Being outside for work is still work. > > A better work-life balance can help alleviate this pressure, something very > few people advocate for in this high-pressure environment. We all know PIs > that look down on students/researchers that invest a lot of time in other > aspects of life, be it family, volunteering, outreach, music, athletics, or > other hobbies. > > Depression is a disease like any other, something that works for one person > may not work for others. > > > > Luis > > > On Sat, Nov 19, 2016 at 11:16 PM, David Inouye <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> There's an interesting article in the latest issue of Nature about mental >> health issues for scientists facing career pressures: >> >> http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v539/n7628/full/nj7628-319a.html >> >> I wonder whether ecologists, who may get to spend more time outside ("in >> nature"), are less susceptible to depression than researchers in other >> fields. >> >> -- >> Dr. David W. Inouye >> Professor Emeritus >> Department of Biology >> University of Maryland >> College Park, MD 20742-4415 >> [email protected] >> >> Principal Investigator >> Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory >> PO Box 519 >> Crested Butte, CO 81224 > >
