Nature Prescriptions for Mental Health Wellness

Overseen By Maria Gioia, MD

Age: Any Age

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Stanford University

Disqualifiers: None

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 72

Duration: 6 months

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to determine if spending more time in nature can improve mental health and overall well-being. Participants will receive either a "park prescription" (a recommendation to visit green spaces) or standard health advice. It is ideal for Pittsburgh residents with a chronic condition or lifestyle risks who can use a smartphone app. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to explore innovative ways to enhance well-being through nature.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems likely that you can continue them, but it's best to confirm with the study coordinators.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that nature prescriptions are generally safe and easy to manage. Studies have found that these programs can improve mental health and encourage physical activity, such as walking. No reports indicate negative effects from spending time in nature as recommended. The main goal is to get people outside to enhance their well-being. Thus, participating in a study involving park prescriptions is likely safe for most individuals. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the "Nature Prescriptions for Mental Health Wellness" trial because it explores a fresh approach to enhancing mental health. Unlike traditional treatments for mental health conditions, which often involve medications or therapy sessions, this trial looks at prescribing time in nature as a therapeutic tool. By encouraging people to spend regular, meaningful time in parks and natural settings, this method taps into the mental health benefits of nature exposure, like reduced stress and improved mood. This innovative approach could offer a complementary or alternative option to existing mental health treatments, providing a natural and potentially more accessible way to support wellness.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for mental health wellness?

This trial will compare the effects of a park prescription with regular health advice on mental health wellness. Research has shown that spending more time in nature can improve mental health. One study found that being in natural settings can reduce anxiety and depression and lower blood pressure. Another study found that activities in nature can enhance both mental and physical health by encouraging more physical activity. Evidence also suggests that time spent in parks or natural areas can improve mood and overall health. These findings highlight the potential benefits of increased time in nature for mental wellness. ^{1 2 6 7 8}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Gretchen Daily, PhD

Principal Investigator

Stanford University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for people aged 13-65 living in the Pittsburgh area with chronic conditions or significant lifestyle risks. They must be patients at AHN Forbes Family Medicine, willing to follow study procedures, and have a smartphone for the required apps. Minors need parental consent.

Inclusion Criteria

Participants must be willing and able to provide informed consent to participate

Participants must have a smartphone that is capable of running the Urban Mind App and connecting to the Garmin wearable device (iPhone 6 and newer as well as most Android phones)

Participants must be willing to comply with all study procedures for the duration of the study

Exclusion Criteria

None, must meet all inclusion criteria

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive a nature prescription and are monitored using a GPS-enabled wearable device for 6 months

6 months

Regular monitoring through wearable devices and app-based assessments every 72 hours

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Park prescription
• Regular health advice

Trial Overview The study tests if 'nature prescriptions'—encouraging time spent in green spaces—can improve health compared to regular health advice. It's a randomized controlled trial that tracks participants using an app and wearable device over six months.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

The treatment group will receive information regarding wellness factors by the doctor (health advice) and they will be asked to follow those recommendations for the duration of the study. In addition they will also receive a park prescription specifying a target amount of time to spend in nature, along with frequency of visits and recommended locations (e.g., specific parks), and information about parks and programming in the study area.

Group II: Control Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The control group will receive regular health advice and information regarding wellness factors by the doctor and they will be asked to follow those recommendations for the duration of the study.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Stanford University

Lead Sponsor

Trials

2,527

Recruited

17,430,000+

Richard King Mellon Foundation

Collaborator

Trials

2

Recruited

260+

Allegheny Health Network

Collaborator

Trials

6

Recruited

1,100+

Allegheny Singer Research Institute (also known as Allegheny Health Network Research Institute)

Collaborator

Trials

52

Recruited

13,000+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10999630/

Does nature-based social prescription improve mental ... These results underscore the gender-specific differences in the effectiveness of nature-based social prescriptions on mental health outcomes.

2. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519623000256

Effect of nature prescriptions on cardiometabolic and ... Nature prescription programmes showed evidence of cardiometabolic and mental health benefits and increases in walking. Effective nature prescription programmes ...

3. ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-020-00941-8

the park prescription randomized controlled trial | International ... To investigate the effectiveness of a park prescription intervention (PPI) for improving total moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), other PA related behaviors, ...

4. jphe.amegroups.org jphe.amegroups.org/article/view/10022/html

A scoping review of nature prescriptions offered by healthcare ... Prescriptions within the scoping review range from nature-based therapy (NBT) to outdoor physical activity, park outings, even surfing lessons, and more.

5. theguardian.com theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/04/prescribed-time-in-nature-linked-to-improvements-in-anxiety-depression-and-blood-pressure

Prescribed time in nature linked to improvements in anxiety ... Prescriptions encouraging people to spend more time in nature are linked to reduced blood pressure and improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7344564/

Nature Prescriptions for Health: A Review of Evidence and ... Nature prescription programs have emerged to address the high burden of chronic disease and increasingly sedentary and screen-based lifestyles.

7. frontiersin.org frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1228271/full

Does nature-based social prescription improve mental ... A nature-based social prescription (NBSP) is an approach to improving mental health outcomes that involves prescribing nature-based interventions as ...

8. academic.oup.com academic.oup.com/heapro/article/40/2/daaf039/8110078

Barriers and facilitators to implementing nature prescriptions ... The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nature prescription programs for child and youth ...