NHS Prescribes Gardening To Ease Mental Health Crisis

The demand for mental health services from young people has soared over the last few years, resulting in long waiting lists and increasing pressure on the NHS. That is why some health trusts are planning to prescribe relaxing activities to help relieve anxiety and depression among teenagers. 

A study is being run by University College London (UCL), which will look at whether people aged between 11 and 18 in England find their symptoms ease after taking part in dance, music, sport, and exercise, the Guardian reported.

These 600 people, who are currently on the waiting list for mental health care, will help determine whether the NHS should make these activities more readily available to those who are trying to access wellbeing support, instead of waiting months without any therapy or medication. 

Dr. Daisy Fancourt, a UCL mental health expert who is leading the trial, told the newspaper: “Young people’s mental health is one of the greatest challenges facing the NHS.”

She noted that three-quarters of those who are referred for child and adolescent mental health services find their emotional wellbeing deteriorates while they wait for their treatment. 

“Social prescribing has the potential to support young people while they wait, by providing access to a range of creative and social activities that could enhance their confidence, self-esteem and social support networks,” Dr. Fancourt stated.

Ten mental health trusts are taking part in the trial, which will give participants a choice of activities they want to try, as well as link them to a ‘buddy’. 

According to the participants: “Link workers contributed to improving their sense of autonomy, reduced their sense of stigma around mental health challenges, and filled a gap in mental health service provision by providing almost immediate access to non-clinically based emotional support.”

The UCL trial, which is funded by the Prudence Trust, hopes the results will be positive, helping to ease the burden on the NHS, as well as provide young people with the support they need without having to wait months to receive it. 

‘Social prescribing’ is becoming more popular, and a student from the University of Dundee has come up with another innovative way of helping people with their mental health struggles. 

Kirubhagar Ballah Kirsnaah created a seeded paper that can be put in soil to grow a plant. 

The 28-year-old from India said he wanted to “help motivate people to go outdoors”, in support of Dundee’s green health prescription. This encourages residents to engage in local outdoor activities, improving their physical health, reducing obesity and high blood pressure, and boosting their emotional wellbeing. 

Mr. Kirsnaah’s prescription is actually printed on seeded paper, so people just have to rip a bit off and plant it. 

“The idea is that it should push you and make you more curious about gardening. It could be the first step for people to go to these community gardens, or one step towards a healthier lifestyle,” he told the BBC. 

As well as encouraging them to go outdoors, get back to nature, and embark on a healthier lifestyle, it provides focus, purpose, and social opportunities. 
Until these ‘social prescriptions’ take off, people still need to rely on traditional treatments. To help with receiving regular medication, consider ordering from your pharmacy to your door.