Nature matters
Most of us see nature as important in our own lives. Taking a break, or having a holiday often means being in nature: being by or in water, walking or gardening.
There is increasing evidence that engaging with nature can not only help people relax from the stresses and strains of everyday life, it can also help reduce mental health symptoms across a range of disorders.
Based on this evidence, we encourage those with mental health issues, where appropriate, to engage more directly with nature-based groups.
These groups or activities are sustainable because they are usually cheap to run, have low environmental impacts and are socially inclusive. This evidence is outlined in a wide range of papers.
Our Green Care lead on the College's Sustainability committee is Dr Alan Kellas.
On this page you can find a range of resources about green care, including podcasts, interviews with Dr Kellas, reports and slides.
Podcast interviews showing that green care is effective
Episode 1
We talked to Michelle who lived with anxiety and depression for over two decades and recently got involved with a Wildlife Trust in Lancashire called MyPlace.
Episode 2
Dr Katherine Kennet, joined us to discuss the importance of integrating the natural world with more traditional therapy and how she would encourage other mental health professionals to use ecotherapy.
Episode 3
We interviewed psychotherapist Roger Duncan. Roger spoke about his fascinating research into attachment styles, the wilderness and his vital work connecting teenagers to their natural environment.
Other resources
- Read Rosa Roberts and Tom Fisher's blog post on nature-based interventions and their benefits to mental health
- Our Green Care lead on our Sustainability and Planetary Health Committee, Dr Alan Kellas, was interviewed on Radio 4:
- View a model of how different people at different times can engage with nature to improve their health