{"id":2523,"date":"2020-08-25T22:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-08-25T21:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.jomec.co.uk\/life360\/?p=2523"},"modified":"2021-01-27T11:00:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-27T11:00:27","slug":"a-walk-a-day-the-green-prescriptions-changing-mental-healthcare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/a-walk-a-day-the-green-prescriptions-changing-mental-healthcare\/","title":{"rendered":"A walk a day: the green prescriptions changing mental healthcare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>As medical professionals begin to advise nature for their patients\u2019 mental health, what is the impact of these so-called \u2018nature prescriptions\u2019?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As she entered her GP surgery last November, Rosie Smith-Kalmus \u2013 a 22-year-old student at the University of Glasgow \u2013 thought she\u2019d emerge with the translucent green piece of prescription paper she was used to seeing.&nbsp;She had been diagnosed with generalised anxiety and an acute panic disorder over three years before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt was getting to a point where I was often scared to go outside, because I was scared of having a panic attack,\u201d she says. \u201cPanic attacks are a really physical thing [\u2026] my stomach gets really sore, really tight and really uncomfortable. My joints start to feel stiff; my mouth goes dry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This wasn\u2019t her first-time seeking help, nor was it her first prescription. The low dose of beta-blockers failed to stop her anxiety simmering consistently throughout her daily life. Introducing anti-depressants had helped, but months later, she still felt overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leaving the doctor\u2019s that day, she did have that recognisable green slip in hand, but this time it came with the addition of the words \u2018Pinkston Waterpark\u2019 scrawled on the back, with the recommendation to go there to open water swim rather than an inside pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c[My GP] kept asking me what kind of sports I do. I do go to the gym, but my mental health being improved by exercise has never really been true for me. I said I swam as a kid, so he was like \u2018right, wild swimming.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-770x577.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid.jpg 1267w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-293x220.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3529\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-770x577.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid.jpg 1267w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Glasgow-Phil-Reid-293x220.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Rosie was prescribed a swim in the nature bodies of water around Glasgow. (Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/cUCYwzBa7os\">Phil Reid<\/a> via Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Wild swimming has its own particular benefits, such as research from the National Library of Medicine in the US suggesting cold water can have an anti-depressive effect. But numerous studies laud the mental health benefits of interacting with nature in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2018, a study led by neuroscientist Dr Andrea Michelli found that the mental health benefits of going for a walk can last for up to seven hours. Australian researchers found in 2016 that just 30 minutes spent outdoors per week can reduce depression. In a survey conducted by mental health charity Mind, it was found that 94% of people involved in \u2018green exercise activities\u2019 said that their mental health had benefited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-604x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-604x1024.png 604w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-177x300.png 177w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-770x1305.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-906x1536.png 906w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-1208x2048.png 1208w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-293x497.png 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-1400x2373.png 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"604\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-604x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-604x1024.png 604w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-177x300.png 177w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-770x1305.png 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-906x1536.png 906w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-1208x2048.png 1208w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-293x497.png 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206-1400x2373.png 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/nature-brain-an_48374206.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the leading advocates for nature-based approaches is Dr. William Bird, a GP in Reading and the CEO of Intelligent Health who has shown his support for over two decades. Setting up the first Green Gym in the 1990s, where people could exercise outside through sowing seeds, creating wildlife ponds and planting trees, Dr Bird has long been confident in nature\u2019s ability to improve our mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you go out into nature, the eyes look around and you suddenly see that everything you have been programmed as a hunter-gatherer to want to be safe, is there. You\u2019ve got trees, you\u2019ve got grass, you\u2019ve got shelter, you\u2019ve got water, you\u2019ve got food\u2026 so your brain has been programmed to want that. So suddenly, you feel safer to where you are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRather than being an isolated little blob trying to deal with the world which is out there\u201d \u2013 he gestures outside of the confines of the webcam frame \u2013 \u201cwhich is \u2018hostile and horrible, nature says actually, the world out there is absolutely beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When out in nature &#8211; whether that\u2019s plunging into sub-temperatures on her outdoor swims, walking her dog Luna, or during her challenging cycles around the fields in her childhood hometown &#8211; Rosie feels the physical symptoms of her anxiety dissipate. \u201cCalming down the physical symptoms really helps to stop my brain from speeding up and creating more panic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized-293x220.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"488\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3509\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Rosie-resized-293x220.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Rosie on a walk. (Image credit: Kat Smith)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s unclear how long doctors like Rosie\u2019s have been informally suggesting this interaction with nature to their patients. But in October 2018, nature began to be formally prescribed by GPs in the Shetland Islands after a successful trial run by NHS and the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds). The project was the first time that nature has been formally prescribed in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it may not be a prescription you can take to the pharmacy, it\u2019s one that Shetland Islands Manager for the RSPB Helen Moncrieff firmly believes in: \u201cWe thought one thing that connects everybody is the natural world and health. And there is evidence that nature can improve health and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prescriptions during the project came in the form of two resources: a leaflet with evidence, information and advice for activities and suggestions, and a calendar of monthly ideas and events. A doctor could circle a length of walk or direct them to a particular activity, such as drawing a snowdrop, most appropriate for the patient. The calendar spans the whole year, with lists including \u2018planting some bulbs\u2019 in February, \u2018making a meal with the flower of a dandelion\u2019 in July and \u2018go otter watching\u2019 in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s really how simple it is,\u201d Moncrieff says from her home in the Islands. \u201cIt\u2019s a little nudge to get outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-293x195.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/cabinet-resized-293x195.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Nature prescriptions can supplement or provide an alternative to medical treatment for mental health. (Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/0-HAIyTj7Xw\">freestocks<\/a> via Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>While we associate a walk in the park with being easy, for those suffering with depression it can be a struggle to even get out of the front door. \u201cI would literally just leave the house for doctor\u2019s appointments,\u201d says Frankie, a supermarket assistant from Portsmouth, referring to her severe depression during the second year of university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In her first visit to the GP, after prescribing her anti-depressants, her doctor told her to go outside and go to the park. The sentiment was later echoed by other doctors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere were three different doctors who have all talked about being outside as like some kind of magic cure, and I feel like anyone who\u2019s ever been seriously depressed will tell you that you can\u2019t even leave your house at the best of times, let alone chill in the park. It\u2019s not going to make you just magically better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To avoid minimising an individual\u2019s mental health struggles in this way, Dr Bird says a doctor needs to gauge where patient is. \u201cWild swimming is fantastic, but if someone is in a place where they\u2019ve just started to look at a David Attenborough programme and that\u2019s as far as they\u2019ve got, that would be the scariest thing in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat we tend to forget, particularly environmentalists, is that we impose our values about what we feel is good for someone, on people who are in a very different place. And we are very bad at being sensitive to people\u2019s needs.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another challenge for prescriptions is location: increasing urbanisation means that the coastal paths of the Shetland Islands and other vast green spaces are the exceptions, not the rule. A 2018 study by Ambius found that 40% of British office workers spend a maximum of just 15 minutes outside per day, excluding their commute to work. 22% only spend only 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the urban population of the UK being estimated at 83.4% in 2018, Dr Bird assures that the mental health benefits are not exclusively reserved for those with an abundance of nature on their doorstep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve often said for people in the middle of London, you just go to a tiny, mini, park where you can sit down under a tree. [\u2026] It doesn\u2019t have to be a big park, it doesn\u2019t have to be wild nature, it doesn\u2019t have to be anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moncrieff agrees that adaptability is key: \u201cWhat works in Shetland isn\u2019t going to necessarily work in a city. But nature&nbsp;<em>should&nbsp;<\/em>work with everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The importance of accessibility is one of the reasons why the RSPB is doing another trial in NHS Lothian, which covers more urban areas of Scotland, like Edinburgh. \u201cPeople have the same health problems everywhere that they do in the Shetlands, be it physical or mental health, so [that differing access means] we have to nudge people out a bit more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This nudge seems to be needed. One&nbsp;study led by academics in England, Australia and New Zealand found that living in urban areas, in combination with increasingly busy modern lifestyles, may be causing a decline in interactions with the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, even improved availability and a helpful nudge won\u2019t always be greeted with open arms, no matter the patients\u2019 location. Medication is still the most commonly-prescribed treatment for mental health problems \u2013 according to the NHS, 70.9 million prescriptions for antidepressants were given out in 2018. Dr Bird says he has been met with resistance from patients when trying to advise nature as a treatment. \u201cThe patient feels they\u2019re being short-changed. They say \u2018look, I\u2019ve come to a doctor, I want expensive drugs, I want something special because you\u2019re a specialist doctor, so I want special treatment for special things.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSome of them say, \u2018my granny could\u2019ve told me that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rosie says antidepressants changed her life, and that her doctor prescribed nature as an additional treatment rather than as a replacement: \u201cHe was like: \u2018Okay we\u2019re gonna increase your antidepressant dose anyway but this is something to do alongside.\u2019 And he said, \u2018if that doesn\u2019t work, we can try out different options.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moncrieff acknowledges the importance of nature prescriptions not being posited as a replacement of traditional medicine, saying that they can be for low-level mental health problems before people are needing prescriptions, or used alongside traditional medicine. She adds that during the NHS\/RSPB trial, a doctor would offer the options of medication or a nature prescription. If the latter helped, then that was that, and if not, the patient would then get medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She believes that the future of nature prescriptions is bright, but uncertain: \u201cThis is a viable option to complement the more traditional medicine,\u201d she says. And the global interest is evident, with not only national newspapers reporting on the project, but international organisations too. \u201cWe\u2019ve had journalists and people from all over the world getting in touch \u2013 from Aboriginal groups in Australia to a Danish stress committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut because it\u2019s still new, we will need to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"650\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/life360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2020\/08\/Shetlands-resized-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption>Sumbergh Head, Shetland Islands. (Image credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/mustangjoe\/42560119874\">Joe deSousa<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The questions the RSPB are still seeking to answer include: Is a more outdoor-inclined GP more likely to prescribe nature? Are there certain conditions that a GP is more likely to prescribe nature for? Moncrieff says that these were set to be explored during the project in NHS Lothian, but it has been put on pause due to Covid-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Bird agrees it will take some time before nature prescriptions become part of the fabric of the UK healthcare system, not only because there are unanswered questions but because of public attitude towards this non-drug approach to mental health. But in his experience in advocating for the benefits of walking, it\u2019s only a matter of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I started off, I just started by promoting physical activity and walking, and walking at the time in the 1990s was completely uncool.\u201d Dr Bird smiles. From being something \u2018uncool\u2019, walking is now seen as a mainstay in a healthy lifestyle, with walking charity Ramblers saying that&nbsp;97% of adults&nbsp;now believe that the public should be encouraged to walk more for improved health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s only a matter of time before attitudes towards nature catch up, he says: \u201cWe know that nature\u2019s really good. So, we\u2019ve won that argument, the evidence is there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe just haven\u2019t quite sold it to the public yet.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The role of Nature on mental health &amp; well-being by Dr William Bird &#8211; EU&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QI21F6DLrh\">https:\/\/t.co\/QI21F6DLrh<\/a> delighted to have been asked to Latvia to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Europarc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Europarc<\/a> conference to explain how nature and national parks impacts our health. This is the future of healthcare!<\/p>&mdash; Dr William Bird MBE (@drwilliambird) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/drwilliambird\/status\/1183479110108139520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 13, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As medical professionals begin to advise nature for their patients\u2019 mental health, what is the impact of these so-called \u2018nature prescriptions\u2019?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":3513,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - 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