Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomised Trial of Social Prescribing of Forest Therapy for Quality of Life and Biopsychosocial Wellbeing in Community-Living Australian Adults with Mental Illness: Protocol

Tamsin Thomas, James Baker, Debbie Massey, Daniel D’Appio and Christina Aggar
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Tamsin Thomas: School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, QLD 4225, Australia
James Baker: Primary and Community Care Services, 7/1 Central Ave, Thornleigh, NSW 2120, Australia
Debbie Massey: School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, QLD 4225, Australia
Daniel D’Appio: Primary and Community Care Services, 7/1 Central Ave, Thornleigh, NSW 2120, Australia
Christina Aggar: School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, QLD 4225, Australia

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Social Prescribing (SP) involves linking individuals with mental illness to local health and welfare services to improve quality of life (QoL) and biopsychosocial wellbeing. SP programs address psychosocial wellbeing by linking individuals to group activities. Forest Therapy (FT) is a group nature walk with prescribed activities that promote mindfulness, relaxation, and shared experience. Improvements in psychological and physical wellbeing have been demonstrated in FT, but psychosocial impacts have not been widely investigated. This study will implement an SP FT intervention and assess the impacts on QoL and biopsychosocial wellbeing. Participants will include 140 community-living adults with mental illness at Sydney/Gold Coast, Australia. A stepped-wedge cluster randomised design will be used; each participant will complete a 10-week control period followed by a 10-week FT intervention. Weekly 90-min FT sessions will be conducted in groups of 6–10 in local nature reserves. Validated tools will measure self-report QoL and biopsychosocial wellbeing pre- and post-control and intervention periods, and 5-week follow-up. Blood pressure and heart rate will be measured pre- and post-FT sessions. Hypothesised outcomes include improvements in QoL and biopsychosocial wellbeing. This study is the first to assess SP FT, and may provide evidence for a novel, scalable mental illness intervention.

Keywords: mental disorders; loneliness; social isolation; quality of life; community services; social support; nature therapy; mindfulness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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