Traditional ecological knowledge and mental health education for sustainable community well-being

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) refers to the traditional and cumulative knowledge, skills, and beliefs about the relationship between humans and nature that are passed on from generation to generation within indigenous cultures. As communities worldwide grapple with mental health issues, environmental deterioration, social disintegration, and the loss of indigenous knowledge systems, there is a growing interest in approaches that integrate TEK to promote holistic well-being. The current mixed-methods study was carried out in Southwestern China among ethnic communities to investigate the role of TEK in mental health education and sustainable community well-being. Data were collected through a validated 32-item questionnaire (internal consistency reliability: Cronbach’s α = 0.89) completed by 240 participants and semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory observations of 48 participants. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that TEK participation was positively associated with mental health awareness (r = 0.71, p < 0.01), emotional resilience (r = 0.78, p < 0.01), and sustainability engagement (r = 0.74, p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis also revealed that TEK participation was the most significant predictor of emotional resilience (β = 0.48, p < 0.001), followed by mental health awareness (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and sustainability engagement (β = 0.24, p < 0.001), accounting for 64% of the variance in emotional resilience (R2 = 0.64). Results showed that communities with higher levels of TEK participation exhibited stronger social cohesion, lower perceived stress, higher emotional resilience, and higher environmental responsibility.