With up to 1.6 million people in the UK living with Seasonal Affective Disorder, healthcare professionals across the Black Country are using nature to tackle mental health issues and promote wellbeing during colder, darker months.
Occupational Therapy and Community Mental Health teams at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are among over 150 practitioners across the Midlands to be given training by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to help support patients.
Studies consistently show that time spent connecting to nature boosts mood, sleep and cognitive function. As part of the RSPB Nature Prescriptions project, the Trust was given training and printed resources designed to help staff and service users not only make the most of natural spaces but also to find ways to connect to nature wherever they are, learning how to make it an integral part of the wellbeing journey.
Whilst highly urbanised, the Black Country still has a range of green spaces the community to enjoy; including Wren’s Nest, Sandwell Valley Country Park, and Bantock Park. Nature Prescriptions helps people to make important and lasting connections to nature, from things as simple as observing the changing sky to crunching through fallen leaves - even if they cannot get to those outdoor spaces.
The RSPB Nature Prescriptions course at Black Country Healthcare was developed by the Trust’s Recovery College, putting their recent training and RSPB-provided resources to use in a way that will suit those they support. The Recovery College provides free educational courses to local people who have an interest in – or personal difficulties with mental health. At this stage, over 100 healthcare professionals across the Trust have worked with the RSPB on this scheme.
Zena Sharma, Clinical Lead for Community Mental Health (Wolverhampton North), at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “We’re really proud to have collaborated with the RSPB team on their Nature Prescriptions project. At this time of year, it becomes even more important to look after our wellbeing and spend some time connecting to nature. Being part of this initiative has been a rewarding experience for all of us, and we’ve seen first-hand how noticing nature can help to enhance wellbeing.”
Throughout the year, but especially during the winter period, RSPB Nature Prescriptions will allow patients to be supported with their mental health, helping to improve the wellbeing of people within the communities the Trust serves.
Alexis Johnson, Nature and Wellbeing Officer at RSPB, said: “We’re thrilled to have worked with so many passionate staff from Black Country Healthcare. Their enthusiasm has been truly infectious, and we can’t wait to see nature woven into the lives of residents across the Black Country. Nature belongs to all of us, and its beauty and calming presence is everywhere - from the leaves floating down with a passing breeze to the flocks of geese flying above.
“We're also really grateful to the players of the People's Postcode Lottery, for funding our work in the West Midlands.”
Occupational Therapy Assistants at the Trust also provided nature-based interventions.
To watch a video created by the RSPB in partnership with Black Country Healthcare, please click here.