Tag Archives: Health and wellbeing
Therapeutic Nature project
We have been awarded funding from Defra to identify what works in the use of nature-based therapeutic interventions for people with an identifiable mental illness. The new work is closely aligned with the MRC funded Nature on Prescription project. One of the key aims of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan is to help identify […]
Systematic review of indoor nature interventions for the health of older adults in residential settings
A new systematic review carried out by Nicky Yeo and colleagues and published in The Gerontologist found some evidence to suggest that involvement in active gardening and horticultural programmes can benefit the wellbeing of older adults in residential homes. Older adults living in residential homes are at risk of loneliness, hopelessness, and depression. There is […]
Blog on the Green-Blue Spaces Study for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales
Our colleague Dr Amy Mizen, based at Swansea University Medical School, has written a blog for the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales describing the NIHR funded Green-Blue Spaces Study. The team have also produced a short video on the outcomes of the first stakeholder workshop. The Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is responsible for delivering […]
What is health?
Becca is leading a new piece of work focusing on demystifying the concept of ‘health’. The work forms part of the the five year, £6.5m Valuing Nature Programme. The Valuing Nature Programme (VNP) is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Arts […]
Health benefits of outdoor blue spaces
Mat White and colleagues working on the BlueHealth study have found positive associations between expsure to outdoor blue spaces and mental health and physical activity outcomes. Whilst the evidence base for the benefits of natural environments is relatively well established, less is known about the specific benefits of blue spaces. Blue spaces are ‘outdoor environments – […]
WHO release action brief on urban green space
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has released today a brief for action on urban green spaces. Ben and our green space colleague Anne Cleary worked with WHO on developing this brief. The brief was launched at the European Conference on Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change in Bonn (Becca is leading a […]
BlueHealth: mapping and quantifying the potential benefits of Europe’s blue spaces to public health and wellbeing
Our colleagues working on the Horizon 2020 funded Blue Health project have published a protocol detailing the aims and methods of the project. The Blue Health project is led by Professor Lora Fleming and brings together a multi-disciplinary consortium to investigate how aquatic environments affect the health of Europe’s population. The research aims to understand […]
Designing and delivering effective urban green space interventions
There is a substantial evidence base to support using nature to enhance wellbeing, particularly within urban settings. However, when it comes to translating this evidence into on-ground action and using nature or green space within our cities as a public health intervention, it can raise a lot of questions. For example, what type of green space […]
Culture matters: using a cultural contexts of health approach to enhance policy-making. New World Health Organisation report.
Becca and Professor Michael Depledge have co-authored a new report with WHO Europe on the importance of culture to health and wellbeing policy making. The report is part of a wider programme of work on the Cultural Contexts of Health at the WHO. The policy focused briefing was developed in response to increasing awareness among […]
Different types of exposure to natural environments are associated with different aspects of wellbeing
Ben, Mat and colleagues have published a new analysis of Natural England’s Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment survey data in the journal Health & Place. The study examined whether different types of exposure to natural environments are associated with different aspects of wellbeing. White, M. P., Pahl, S., Wheeler, B. W., Depledge, M. […]
Beyond Greenspace 