How Nature Based Self-Help Therapy Aids Mental Health Revival

Exploring nature could be an impactful solution for reducing stress and depression symptoms. A self-guided four-week nature-based event called ‘Roots and Shoots’ may help people to reconnect with the green environment, while improving their emotional resilience and mindfulness. This was based on a new pilot study from the University of Exeter, published in Behavioral Sciences. Mental health complications such as anxiety and depression affect people causing personal distress and economic strain. Some affected individuals are unable to access traditional psychiatric care due to lack of resources and social barriers (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Roots and Shoots: A Pilot Parallel Randomised Controlled Trial Assessing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Nature-Based Self-Help Intervention for Low Wellbeing

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Dr. Matt Owens, from the University of Exeter and co-founder of the nature and mental health research group ROWAN, led the study and said: "We know that spending more time in nature and connecting with it can be beneficial for mental wellbeing but unfortunately we spend more and more time indoors, as urbanisation increases and modern lifestyles tend towards screentime. We have developed a self-help package that uses principles from both clinical psychology and nature research to empower individuals to spend more time in nature, rediscover their relationship with natural environments and improve their wellbeing.”

Self-Help Guide: A Better Option to Self-Manage Mental Conditions

The ‘Roots and Shoots’ self-help therapy was tested on 47 adults, who were randomly allowed to use nature-based guide or join a waiting list. Researchers compared the two groups and found that, participants who followed nature-based guide showed 82% reliable improvements and 59% clinically significant changes. Secondary benefits included enhanced awareness and reduced stress.

Participants found the ‘Roots and Shoots’ guidebook easy to use and helpful, with nearly half expressing interest in a programme lasting longer than four weeks. High levels of engagement were seen throughout the study, with the majority adhering to the self-guided activities.

ROWAN co-founder and Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Hannah Bunce, said: “Self-help interventions can have an important role in supporting access to mental health care, where appropriate. Self-help nature resources like ‘Roots and Shoots’ are in their relative infancy. They provide a promising option for people to self-manage mental health difficulties, improving wellbeing, while fostering their nature relationship. The results of the pilot study are very promising but crucially, we now need funding for a larger trial for further testing before we can offer it more widely.”

Reference:

1. Roots and Shoots: A Pilot Parallel Randomised Controlled Trial Assessing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Nature-Based Self-Help Intervention for Low Wellbeing - (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/8/1096)

Source-Eurekalert