Writer Biography

Kallie Goodfellow is an Aggie First Scholar freshman at Utah State University who is dedicated to her work. She loves nature, photography, and thinking creatively. She wants to major in Marketing with a minor in Graphic Design, focusing on developing her creative skills. 

This essay was composed in November 2022 in an English 1010 course. Goodfellow uses MLA documentation.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER CURRENT events constantly impact the way we react to the world around us. While many factors are important to consider in how individuals respond to these concerning issues, one question we often do not consider concerns house plants:  do house plants have an effect on how individuals cope with social and environmental issues such as climate change and mental and physical health? Studies have shown that house plants release chemicals into the air that allow the room to feel energized. They bring a welcoming energy that invites inspiration and creativity enhancing the ability to stay focused and think clearly. As we experience outside stressors, house plants can have a beneficial effect on the way we live our lives.  

Mental health is a global issue, and I would like to address if indoor plants could decrease depression, anxiety and how we cope with stress. Indoor plants have many benefits that improve our overall health. In “IoT Plant Monitoring System for Mental Health Studies,” they share that a study was “performed to examine the efficacy of indoor gardening on sleep, agitation, and cognition of dementia, patients found significant improvement in agitation and cognition score, as well as on nocturnal sleep time, and nocturnal sleep efficiency” (Yepuganti et al. 1029). Mental health is a global issue, and I would like to address if indoor plants could decrease depression, anxiety and how we cope with stress. As shown in the research performed, indoor plants create a peaceful environment soothing the mind while allowing for better sleep and clearer thinking. House plants create both a serene and nontoxic environment. “Nonthreatening natural environments reduce stress and negative affect while increasing positive affect. The change in affect and reduction of the stress response then allow a person to maintain higher levels of sustained attention, which leads to cognitive benefits” (Schertz,  and Berman 497). Plants within the home create a natural and healthy environment that is a safe and welcoming space. This environment reduces the negative effects of mental health, welcoming positive emotions and relaxing thoughts.

Although indoor plants have many benefits, there have been rising concerns. Muhammad Sarwar studies the risks of pesticides in plants and the hazards linked to the health of family members. He shares that “pesticides are chemicals that are used to kill or control pests which include insects and rodents, in addition to bacteria, fungi, and other organisms” (Sarwar and Lee 1). When these pesticides are present in plants the environment within its vicinity is affected negatively. An individual breathing in  the pesticides released by plants  can cause detrimental consequences, including health problems. The study explains, “The exposure to pesticides may result in irritation to eye, nose, and throat; damage to central nervous system and kidney; and increased risk of cancer. Symptoms due to pesticides exposure may include headache, dizziness, muscular weakness, and nausea” (Sarwar and Lee 1). To avoid these problems, cleaning and ensuring proper care of each plant is necessary.  

When plants receive the upkeep needed to give off health benefits, studies have shown an improvement in the environment it surrounds. A study revealed that when healthy plants are placed in work areas or classrooms or areas that are used throughout the day, this can produce a positive effect on the mental health of an individual, improving their ability to be innovative, productive, and resourceful (Han). In another classroom they evaluated the benefits of indoor plants on students. They “found that even six limitedly visible plants in the classroom had an immediately significant and positive influence on the students’ perceptions of preference, comfort, and friendliness” (Han 680). The effects of the plants placed in the room showed an increase in class participation and engagement; students felt comfortable and safe to grow and learn in that environment. Another study explained, “There is growing evidence showing that both physical and visual contact with nature is associated with better mental health outcomes such as lower levels of stress, anxiety and rumination, reduced prevalence of somatization symptoms, improved biomarkers of stress, and overall better psychological well-being” (Ribeiro et al.). The more we surround ourselves with nature in our homes and create an environment that purifies and fills the area with positive energy, the more we will feel the positive effects it provides.

Current events in our everyday lives and the choices we make influence the type of person we become. Like the effects of indoor plants on mental health, the natural environment we place ourselves in, can be helpful in handling current issues and making tough decisions. What do indoor plants provide that allow us to better handle current issues?  Scholar Kabita Pandey shares what procedures were taken to ensure a decrease in the spread of COVID-19: “[T]here has been lockdown enforcement, isolation, and closure of public places, educational institutes, and workplaces which have had an overwhelming impact on global mental health. Additionally, mask mandates and strict guidelines for social distancing have been implemented. Anxiety, depression, and other psychopathological symptoms prevail in the areas with severe COVID-19” (Pandey et al. 162). Many precautions were taken to ensure the safety of people from the virus, but other factors such as mental health were affected in this process. A study explained why nature was a key component in coping with COVID-19. They evaluated both Portugal and Spain and the effects of nature in the lives of those affected by the virus: “The main hypothesis underlying this study is that individuals with greater exposure to nature would suffer less from the negative mental health effects of COVID-19 lockdown compared to those with less exposure” (Ribeiro et al.). The energy plants provide in a room creates a healthy environment; they provide cleansing and safe conditions for everyday living. Being present in nature and having indoor house plants allows for a calming and stable environment as shown in the results of the study. People were able to handle the mental and physical effects of COVID-19 better because of the positive effects that plants provide.

How do plants create a healthy environment that provides safety and stability? According to Luz Claudio, “In addition to basic photosynthesis that removes carbon dioxide and returns oxygen to the air, plants can remove toxicants from air, soil, and water in at least two ways. First, they can metabolize some toxic chemicals, releasing harmless by-products, and second, they can incorporate toxicants such as heavy metals into plant tissues, thus sequestering them” (Claudio A426). The energy plants provide in a room creates a healthy environment; they provide cleansing and safe conditions for everyday living. These conditions can be helpful in situations where sickness or allergies occur. Claudio explains, “Poor indoor air quality has been linked to health problems, especially in children. Asthma has reached epidemic proportions among multiple age groups and is considered the most common chronic disease in urban-dwelling children. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Indoor Allergen Committee suggested in a 2010 report that allergists consider indoor air filtration to be part of a comprehensive strategy to improve respiratory health” (Claudio A426). Healthy indoor plants can offer their own natural indoor air filtration. When a plant takes in the carbon dioxide we breath out, it releases the oxygen, purifying the room and cleaning the environment in our home. Issues can arise when the plant is unhealthy, releasing the toxic chemicals into the air. When the toxins are not present, and the plant is of good health this outcome enhances the lives of those who include indoor plants in their homes.

As individuals experience mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and stress, current event issues, and climate change, plants can provide safety, stability, and a purifying environment. These effects help improve mental health by increasing an individuals’ ability to cope with difficult and traumatic experiences. Plants purify the air removing toxins, thereby having a positive impact on climate change and individual health. Research on negative effects of indoor plants resulted in few articles. Most sources referenced the benefits plants provide for the environment. Therefore, solidifying the positive impact plants have on our everyday lives, out weighting any negative effects. Page Break 

Work Cited

Claudio, Luz. “Planting Healthier Indoor Air.” Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 119, no. 10, Oct. 2011, pp. A426–27. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1289/ehp.119-a426.

Han, Ke-Tsung. “Influence of Limitedly Visible Leafy Indoor Plants on the Psychology, Behavior, and Health of Students at a Junior High School in Taiwan.” Environment & Behavior, vol. 41, no. 5, Sept. 2009, pp. 658–92. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1177/0013916508314476.

Pandey, Kabita, et al. “Mental Health Issues During and After COVID-19 Vaccine Era.” Brain Research Bulletin, vol. 176, Nov. 2021, pp. 161–73. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.08.012.  

Ribeiro, Ana Isabel, et al. “Exposure to Nature and Mental Health Outcomes during COVID-19 Lockdown. A Comparison between Portugal and Spain.” Environment International, vol. 154, Sept. 2021, p. N.PAG. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1016/j.envint.2021.106664.

Sarwar, Muhammad, and Albert Lee. “Indoor Risks of Pesticide Uses Are Significantly Linked to Hazards of the Family Members.” Cogent Medicine, vol. 3, no. 1, Dec. 2016, p. 1–N.PAG. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1080/2331205X.2016.1155373.

Schertz, Kathryn E., and Marc G. Berman. “Understanding Nature and Its Cognitive Benefits.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 28, no. 5, Oct. 2019, pp. 496–502. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1177/0963721419854100.

Yepuganti, Karuna, et al. “IoT Plant Monitoring System for Mental Health Therapy.” AI & Society, vol. 36, no. 3, Sept. 2021, pp. 1029–34. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1007/s00146-020-01140-6.