We’re constantly told that spending time in nature is good for the body and the mind alike. A large body of research shows multiple health benefits from contact with nature, ranging from stress reduction to an improved immune system and even improved academic achievement in children.

But not everyone is getting these benefits. Some people have feelings of fear, dislike or disgust towards animals and nature. The phenomenon, biophobia, has been somewhat overlooked in studies of human-nature relationships. This means the concept is poorly understood; it is unclear exactly what causes it and how it can best be treated. What’s more, there are signs it is on the rise.

In my new study with colleagues, we aimed to shed light on biophobia by outlining a conceptual framework of negative relationships with nature that can be applied across scientific disciplines – and systematically reviewing all studies that have been done on the topic.

The flipside of biophobia is called biophilia, an innate affinity for nature. Both of these terms stem from evolutionary psychology, which originally framed positive and negative response to nature as adaptive mechanisms to resources and threats.

Today, biophobia more broadly refers to the aversion towards nature, leading to negative relationships with the natural world.........

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