Mental well-being and quality-of-life benefits of inclusion in nature for adults with disabilities and their caregivers

Sonya L. Jakubec, Don Carruthers Den Hoed, Heather Ray and Ashok Krishnamurthy

Landscape Research, 2016, vol. 41, issue 6, 616-627

Abstract: The benefits of green space and nature experiences are increasingly being recognised and translated into public health policy and practice. Alongside this trend, inclusion of all people into parks and nature has been an important area of parks and recreation practice. Nature inclusion for those with disabilities, youth, seniors and immigrants has become a focus of Alberta in Western Canada. This study was designed to examine the influence of two such government supported nature interventions, including day trips and a more extensive weekend or week-long nature experience, on mental well-being outcomes. It is a mixed methods pilot study (N = 37) with baseline and post-intervention measures of quality of life using the standard Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) alongside other qualitative accounts. Quantitative findings, while not statistically significant, show a positive trend towards improved depression markers, greater health satisfaction, improved social relationships (in particular, love and friendship), as well as satisfaction with a sense of community and experiences of helping. In addition to comments within the QOLI, qualitative data were elicited through reflective writing during the nature interventions. Three dominant qualitative themes of inclusive nature experiences were found: ‘Sensory Activation’, ‘Reimagined Social Relations’ and ‘Reinvented Self’.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1080/01426397.2016.1197190

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