Campus cultural landscapes and mental health: The mediating role of place attachment

Ling Zhang; Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali; Yang Du

doi:10.30822/arteks.v11i3.5240

Authors

Ling Zhang Universiti Sains Malaysia, School of Housing, Building & Planning , Haikou University of Economics
Massoomeh Hedayati Marzbali University of Science Malaysia
Yang Du University of Science Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30822/arteks.v11i3.5240

Keywords:

Campus environmental, Landscpae cultural quality, Mental health, Place attachment

Abstract

University campus environments are critical contextual determinants of students’ mental health. However, existing research has largely privileged nature-based restorative frameworks, particularly Attention Restoration Theory and Stress Recovery Theory, leaving the psychological significance of culturally embedded spatial meanings under-theorized in higher education contexts. Although cultural landscapes have been discussed in planning scholarship, their structural relationships with place attachment and mental health remain insufficiently examined. This research investigates the structural associations among perceived campus cultural landscape quality, place attachment, and students’ mental health using survey data from a research-intensive university in Malaysia. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that perceived cultural landscape quality positively predicts both place attachment and mental health, while place attachment is also positively associated with mental health. By integrating Cultural Continuity Theory with Place Attachment Theory, this research advances a meaning-oriented perspective on campus environments, extending dominant restorative paradigms beyond biophysical attributes. The results highlight the role of culturally encoded spatial meanings in strengthening affective bonds and promoting psychological well-being, offering empirical implications for culturally responsive campus planning and mental health promotion.

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