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The University of Oxford’s Neuroscience and Society (NEUROSEC) research group at the Department of Psychiatry will work with the Eden Project’s Nature Connections programme to investigate how experiences in nature can offer safe and accessible ways to tackle mild and moderate mental health challenges and promote wellbeing, while also protecting the natural world.
The team will evaluate practical solutions such as community horticulture projects and other nature engagement tools including apps, measuring their outcomes for mental health and wellbeing. They will then examine ways to scale up effective interventions so that more people can benefit, regardless of their current mental health status or proximity to nature. Policy recommendations and toolkits will also be developed to help guide future initiatives in this area.
The Ashken Family Charitable Foundation (AFCF) is funding the initial phase of the project, enabling world-class researchers at Oxford to join forces with Eden, whose practicality and ability to get things done have been demonstrated over its 25-year history.
Read the full story on the Department of Psychiatry website.