Mental health awareness week: Promoting young peoples’ mental wellbeing through engagement with nature

Dr Sara Bradley, Senior Fellow at the Wales School for Social Prescribing Research (WSSPR), funded by Health and Care Research Wales, has partnered with NHS Highland on a programme with high school students to promote mental wellbeing through engagement with nature.

The project, led by Dr Bradley and Dr Nick Barnes, NHS Highland, has secured £149,980 from the Medical Research Council for 'Healthy Young Minds,' an early intervention programme which will be co-produced with students from five rural secondary schools in the Scottish Highlands. The aim is to promote mental wellbeing, increase resilience and reduce anxiety.

Dr Bradley said: “Poor mental health is experienced by many young people, and levels of anxiety are increasing, fuelled by fears about issues like climate change, examinations, body image and cyberbullying.

“The aim is to develop ideas for a nature-based wellbeing intervention through a series of workshops with students. Involving the students in the programme design is key to engaging and motivating them.

“Enabling them to take ownership will increase chances of acceptability, adoption and sustainability. The workshops will increase self-confidence, build skills and give students an opportunity to discuss their views on mental health.

“Our aim is to develop an intervention framework to be trialled in a follow-on pilot.”

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