Green care offers new approach to treating mental ill-health, report finds

A report published by Natural England has reviewed the benefits and outcomes of green care as a therapeutic treatment for reducing anxiety, stress and depression.

The study, entitled ‘A review of nature-based interventions for mental health care’, suggests that health services should make greater use of ‘green care’ to help people suffering from mental ill-health.

The report comes as the incidence of mental ill-health is rising, with statistics estimating that one in four people will experience a significant mental health problem. The report suggests that free care interventions could play an increasingly important and cost-effective role in supporting mental health services.

In particular, the study outlines three main green care interventions that are being used in England, including: care farming; environmental conservation; and social and therapeutic horticulture. It gives evidence which shows that each of the projects made a difference to people’s lives and brought positive benefits for people suffering with mental ill-health. Benefits included a reduction in depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, in addition to an improvement in dementia-related symptoms.

Environment minister Rory Stewart said: “Mental health is one of the most serious and complex issues that we face in Britain today and it is great that we now have clearer scientific evidence that nature is also beneficial for our minds and our sense of self.

“As part of our £900 million Countryside Stewardship scheme, we are supporting projects like care farms, providing effective recovery to those in need."

Alan Law, Natural England’s chief strategy and reform officer, said: “This report highlights how nature makes a real difference to the quality of people’s daily lives. It shows what we can do to improve people’s wellbeing, working through new partnerships and offering new services.

“There is now compelling evidence to show that contact with nature and the outdoors improves physical health and mental wellbeing. Natural England is committed to finding ways to help more people access the benefits that come through practical experiences in the outdoors.”

The report recommends a number of actions to help increase awareness and access to nature-based support for mental health care and has commissioned ‘Care Farming UK’ to identify practical models and case studies to increase the scale of green care services.