Urban nature experiences of mental health service users
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative enquiry into the urban nature experiences of mental health service users, seeking to understand if and how contact with urban nature improves subjective wellbeing and mental health for people with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.
IRAS ID
246675
Contact name
Jo Birch
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 0 days
Research summary
Why?
The aim of our study is to explore if and how contact with urban nature improves wellbeing for people with complex mental health difficulties. Many studies from different disciplines cite benefits of nature for wellbeing, but most have been carried out with general populations, often excluding people with complex mental health difficulties. We hope that our findings will inform urban design and patient care via a range of decision makers: public health policy makers; city planners; landscape designers; clinical commissioning groups; NHS health and social care trusts; mental health charities; nature and wildlife organisations.
What?
The study is based around using arts-methods to hear patients’ past and present experiences of nature, especially urban nature.
Who?
Adults over 18 who are current clients of two of Sheffield’s Social Care NHS Foundation Trust community mental health recovery services – one provides intensive rehabilitation and recovery teams, delivering packages of care to people in their own homes as alternative to hospital accommodation; another is a recovery service focussing on recovery, independence and social inclusion for people with complex mental health issues.
Where?
Participants will attend a non-clinical city centre community arts venue. Taster sessions will be offered both at the venue and at clinical locations.
How?
Arts-based workshops, successfully used with users of Sheffield’s mental health support groups, will be offered to adult NHS mental health service users with complex mental health difficulties. An initial taster session will be offered followed by 6 weeks two-hour arts-based sessions, run by an experienced arts-facilitator and researcher. Sessions will provide activities (e.g. writing, art, collage, photography, mapping) which explore service users’ experiences of and feelings about nature in the context of their wellbeing. Subject to participant wishes and consent, recovery workers may attend or support and the series of workshops will culminate in a celebratory exhibition.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0730
Date of REC Opinion
30 Oct 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion