What is Nature Based Social Prescribing?

The context

Loneliness and social isolation are major challenges in our urban communities, and even more so as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying innovative solutions to promote social connections and reduce the burden of mental health conditions on people and healthcare systems is a high priority.

NBSP to reduce loneliness

Social prescribing is a structured therapeutic intervention that targets psychological processes and requires direct participation in everyday environments to support social connection, which, in turn, improves physical, cognitive and mental health.

Social prescription programmes that specifically include access to nature as one of the main components are also referred to as Nature-Based Social Prescribing (NBSP). NBSP activities can promote contact with nature, strengthen social structures, and improve longer term mental and physical health by activating intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental processes. Emerging evidence suggests that NBSP may promote social connection as an antidote to social isolation and loneliness.

Prescriptions can reach a range of populations including, but not limited to, teen parents, recent immigrants, older adults, economically and linguistically isolated populations, and others who face barriers to accessing natural and outdoor spaces. NBSP activities include community gardens, walking clubs or guided activities to access nature, amongst others. The applications of NBSP are diverse can be used to benefit any condition that might be improved through behaviour change, increasing physical activity, and increasing connectedness—all crucial to promote health.

sources
  • Chatterjee HJ, Camic PM, Lockyer B, Thomson LJM. Nonclinical community interventions: a systematised review of social prescribing schemes. Arts Health. 2018;10(2):97–123.
  • Cawston P. Social prescribing in very deprived areas. Br J Gen Pract. 2011;61(586):350
  • Leavell MA, Leiferman JA, Gascon M, Braddick F, Gonzalez JC, Litt JS. Nature-Based Social Prescribing in Urban Settings to Improve Social Connectedness and Mental Well-being: a Review. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2019 Dec;6(4):297-308.
    doi:10.1007/s40572-019-00251-7. PMID: 31713144
  • Razani N, Morshed S, Kohn MA, Wells NM, Thompson D, Alqassari M, et al. Effect of park prescriptions with and without
    group visits to parks on stress reduction in low-income parents: SHINE randomized trial. PloS one. 2018;13(2):e0192921
  • James AK, Hess P, Perkins ME, Taveras EM, Scirica CS. Prescribing outdoor play: outdoors Rx. Clin Pediatr. 2017;56(6):
    519–24.
  • Leavell MA, Leiferman JA, Gascon M, Braddick F, Gonzalez JC, Litt JS. Nature-Based Social Prescribing in Urban Settings to Improve Social Connectedness and Mental Well-being: a Review. Curr Environ Health Rep. 2019 Dec;6(4):297-308.
    doi:10.1007/s40572-019-00251-7. PMID: 31713144
Aller au contenu principal