The Effects of Plant Colors on Alleviating Anxiety in College Students

Abstract

The mental health issues of college students have received widespread attention in recent years, and improving the campus environment plays a significant role in aiding the mental and physical health of college students. Plant color, as the most intuitively perceivable element of the environment, has a direct impact on individuals' mental and physical health; Therefore, investigating the impact of different colors of plants on the psychological health of university students holds significant importance for providing a theoretical basis for the construction of restorative landscape environments on college campuses. This study utilized online questionnaires and invited participants to view plants of different colors (yellow, red, white, green, and black), assessing their psychological impact through various psychological indices. The results indicated that green plants significantly alleviate feelings of tension, unease, and sorrow; white plants have a notable restorative effect on feelings of tension and unease; yellow plants significantly reduce unease and worry; and black plants have a significant restorative effect on unease. Therefore, in the construction of campus landscapes, it is advisable to plant a large number of green and white plants, complemented by yellow plants, to effectively improve the psychological health of college students.