'Contact with nature' should be prescribed
Prescribing ‘contact with nature’ to people with poor mental health would improve their wellbeing and ease the burden on the NHS, new research has found.
People experiencing problems, such as anxiety, stress and depression, reported feeling significantly better, both emotionally and physically, after taking part in outdoor nature conservation projects, according to research carried out for The Wildlife Trusts.
Such activities were also found to have a significant social value and save money with a return of nearly £7 for every £1 invested in the projects, the new report by Leeds Beckett University found.
The Wildlife Trusts said: "Prescribing nature works and saves money. A natural, community-based approach to health offers an important non-medical service that will deliver health prevention at scale and reduce the current burden on the NHS."
The report - Social return on investment analysis of the health and wellbeing impacts of Wildlife Trust programmes - found that, for every £1 invested in specialised health or social needs projects that connect people to nature, there is a £6.88 social return.
Dom Higgins, nature and wellbeing manager at The Wildlife Trusts, said: "We want to see the concept of nature on prescription becoming a core part of the NHS mental well-being programmes. "It's also important to have more investment in Wildlife Trust outdoor volunteering which has been proven to improve mental, physical and social wellbeing. In addition, we need many more wild, natural places near to where people live and work.
“This would help the NHS save money."