Electrophysiological evidence for the emotional benefits of auditory nature therapy among psychiatric healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated psychiatric healthcare workers as the target population and aimed to provide electrophysiological evidence for the effectiveness of auditory natural therapy in improving emotional states, as measured by electroencephalography (EEG). METHODS: EEG data were collected from 40 participants before and after exposure to three types of natural sound stimuli (birdsong, insect sounds, and rain sounds). Changes in EEG-based emotional indicators were analyzed to assess the effects of different auditory conditions. RESULTS: (1) Birdsong reduced stress and increased relaxation; insect sounds reduced the directional attention, while rain sounds reduced engagement; (2) Insect sounds and rain sounds elicited significantly higher levels of Engagement (En) and Interest (In) than birdsong. CONCLUSION: Exposure to natural sounds can improve the EEG-based emotional states in psychiatric healthcare workers, contributing positively to their mental and physical wellbeing.