The scale of the problem:
The number of under 18s referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) has risen by 53% since 2019, escalating to over 1.2 million in 2022, according to data from NHS Digital analysed by the mental health charity, YoungMinds.
The latest projected figures reveal 1,239,838 young people aged between 0-18 were referred for mental health support in 2022. A large number are yet to be treated and remain on waiting lists. This compares to 812,070 in 2019.
Over the past twenty years, most children in the UK play more inside and with electronics instead of being outside, spending their leisure time in nature
Richard Louv described it in 2005 as a nature deficit disorder and noted that there is a continuous decline in children’s participation in outdoor activities. Only 27% of children in the UK regularly play outside their homes
´In the UK on average children spend half as much time playing outdoors than their parents did at the same age
Ecotherapy
This is a type of therapy that involves structured outdoor activities in nature. It's also known as nature therapy, green care, green exercise, green therapy, or horticulture therapy. Can include shinrin-yoku or forest bathing which is also known as Shinrin-yoku
Shinrin-yoku originated in Japan in the 1980s and became part of the country's national health program in 1982. It involves being calm and quiet in a forest, using your senses to observe nature, and breathing deeply. Forest bathing can take place over a range of time, from 10–15 minutes to days or weeks. It usually involves walking for about a mile or less, but can also be done by lying on your back and watching the clouds.
Benefits of forest therapy: can help with physical and mental well-being, including anxiety, stress and sleep
Evidence for nature based activities
Growing evidence benefits of social prescribing for young people. Particularly marked in those over 17. Improves personal and mental wellbeing and particularly reduces loneliness. Social prescribing for young people and the natural environment.
This rapid evidence review was commissioned by NHS England. Time spent in nature is linked to a range of positive mental and physical health outcomes such as:
Reduced blood pressure
Reduced stress levels and associated symptoms
Lower levels of cardiovascular and respiratory problems
Reduced risk of diabetes, obesity, and COVID-19
Increased wellbeing, including subjective wellbeing
Reduced social isolation
Increased happiness and wellbeing
Social prescribing- the natural environment
Nature-based social prescribing interventions can positively impact on happiness and wellbeing. This can be by reducing social isolation and developing connection to nature, particularly in people likely to be experiencing health inequalities.
Both contact and connection with nature play a role in improving health and wellbeing outcomes
A decrease in PTSD symptoms and ADHD (when offered alongside therapeutic and mindfulness activities). Seen in this social prescribing and the natural environment review,
Benefits for ecotherapy for people with ADHD
Ecotherapy related techniques have been shown to be effective in medical disorders like hypertension, obesity, post-surgical recovery and psychosocial conditions like depression, stress reduction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and adjustment disorders.
Case study: benefits of time in nature- 30 days wild challenge
The Wildlife trust ran a study looking at the benefits of time in nature every day for 30 days
Increased nature connectedness
Pro-nature conservation behaviours
Improved wellbeing during June and for at least a further two months beyond the challenge
Those participants with the lowest connection to nature before 30 Days Wild gained the greatest benefits by taking part in the challenge;
Participants reported feeling happier after taking part in 30 Days Wild
Reduced depression with time in nature
A new study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression.
Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
People who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.
Why nature connectedness is important
In three studies, summarised here, exposure to nature increased:
1. Connectedness to nature
2. Attentional capacity
3. Positive emotions
4. Ability to reflect on a life problem.
Positive effects of exposure to nature are mediated by increases in connectedness to nature
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