What if nature could be a cure? Or at least a fantastic prevention tool? On the first day of the “And if we were nature?” lecture series organised by UNature*, the close link between nature and mental health was the subject of much discussion, following a lecture by Howard Frumkin, professor and former dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health. The researcher detailed the beneficial role of nature on the mental health of young people, weakened by social networks, the climate crisis, political instability, violence... Reduced stress, anxiety, better management of impulsivity: the health benefits of nature have led to the emergence of a new public health practice, nature prescriptions.
“More and more research is proving that spending time in nature, for example, twice a week, can improve health. This could mean going outside twice a week for two hours, for example,” explained Frumkin. “There is an interest in incorporating it into medical pathways.”
In Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, the idea has gained ground to a greater or lesser extent, and in Luxembourg it is also beginning to take root. Sacha Bachim, a psychotherapist and health promotion consultant at the Centre national de prévention des addictions, stressed the importance of distinguishing between mental health and mental illness, or more generally between health and illness. “In the first case, we’re talking about a generalised state of well-being, allowing for resilience, self-esteem... In the other case, we’re talking about symptoms, curative. Prevention is the key. Nature is part of everything we can do to stay healthy.”
Howard Frumkin, professor and former dean of the University of Washington School of Public Health, detailed the beneficial role of nature on the mental health of young people. Photo: Maëlle Hamma/Maison Moderne
But there’s no magic or miracle cure. You can’t cure cancer with a walk in the woods. “We need to put nature in the right place, but today’s hospital approach is more focused on treatment than prevention,” emphasised social and occupational psychologist Jocelyn Deloyer. Coordinator of the international projects department at the Saint-Martin neuropsychiatric hospital in Namur, known as Mentalnet.EU, he runs projects that encourage young patients to reconnect with nature.
Training doctors and therapists first
Announced for the closing speech, health minister (CSV) was represented by the doctor and deputy operational and technical director in the health directorate, Juliana D’Allimonte, who praised the good idea of the principle of prescribing from nature. In the coalition agreement, the government stated its intention to place “prevention and early detection on the same level as curative medicine. To this end, it will draw up a national prevention strategy. General practitioners and referring doctors will play a decisive role in preventive medicine.”
“We need to make a successful transition to prevention. Prescriptions of nature may be a good first step. It’s also a question of educating healthcare professionals, most of whom are trained to think in terms of science and the techniques and resources that make treatment possible. To move forward, we need a concept, money and a concrete project,” stressed Philippe Turk, president of the Luxembourg Hospital Federation (FHL).
Training is another essential element for putting measures like prescribing nature into practice. “You need careful, trained therapists. And so we need to introduce this idea into therapists’ curricula, but also involve other players who specialise in nature in medical courses, in order to broaden the field of vision and capture knowledge,” suggested Deloyer, for whom international cooperation and virtual reality may be two solutions for moving forward.
Lack of time, the main obstacle
Before waiting for a doctor’s prescription in kind, the approach can simply come from oneself... for oneself. “When we talk about prevention, we’re also talking about behaviour. Today, three-quarters of fatal diseases are linked to so-called risky behaviour,” said the FHL president. “A good prevention strategy is based on two dimensions: one systemic and one behavioural,” added Bachim.
Amongst the 250 or so visitors who attended the discussions and were polled when they registered, 60% said they would be more motivated to spend more time in nature for their well-being if they had more free time in their schedule. But “time doesn’t exist. It’s the only thing that people measure all the time without ever seeing it. It’s a question of priorities,” said Patrizia Thiry-Curzietti, director general of the Association pour la santé au travail du secteur financier (ASTF), where she has developed a programme for managing stress and burnout. It includes short courses to reconnect with the body and manage stress, medical follow-up and three outings and times to reconnect with nature over three months.
“It’s in nature that you recharge your batteries. In our sector, some people work ten or 12 hours a day. But we know that we can’t really concentrate for more than six hours! We can’t always prevent illness, but sometimes small things can have a huge impact on our health. The big changes are in the small habits!”
*The “And if we were nature?” lecture series continues on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 May at Luxexpo, alongside the . On the programme:
- Thursday 22 May:
-Friday 23 May: .
This article was originally published in .