Ecotherapy Found To Decrease Depression
According to Mind, England and Wale’s leading mental health charity, ecotherapy is: “getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental well-being”. Research conducted on the topic revealed that a huge 94% of participants said ‘green’ activities had benefited their mental health and lifted depression, and 90% said the combination of nature and exercise had the greatest effect.
This has led to calls for ecotherapy to become a recognised treatment for those suffering with mental health problems. With anti-depressant prescriptions reaching an all time high, ecotherapy could potentially help millions of people, at a far lower cost and with no side effects. The chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmers, highlighted the fact that ecotherapy could not replace drugs, but he said the debate needed to be broadened.
July 20th, 2007 at 1:23 am
Not a fan of this idea.
I’m sure that ecological awareness probably does have some benefit on mental health. But it just seems like an all too convenient excuse for righteous thinking and politicking, and as such is not objective enough to be taken seriously as a therapy.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
I agree there may be issues with the association with ecotherapy and the traditional eco-movement, in as far as it sounding ‘hippy’ and somewhat new-age, perhaps even unscientific.
I think the possibility is it could kill two birds with one stone so to speak, helping to change the way we view or treat the world but also the way we sometimes view life or get disillusioned (or depressed).
The bigger problem I see is that people may become accustomed to hearing about environmental issues and become uninterested or annoyed - worse apathetic, perhaps due to a lack of wider change or progress in industry or government (despite all the noise). But in theory if that proves the case we should see a continued increase in mental health problems.. assuming you can trust the statistics when they come out - but that’s a consipracy theory for another time!
October 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Ecotherapy does not just refer to ecological issues. My understanding of ecotherapy is that it is a combination of counselling/psychotherapy and getting to grips with nature. By that I mean outdoor activities such as mountain climbing canoeing etc. Learning new skills, building confidence and pushing them to limits of physical capability. Ecotherapists are qualified to deliver psychotherapy alongside outdoor pursuits.
Ecotherapy recognises the affects of environmental factors on health such as poor housing, noise pollution and overcrowding.
I can totally appreciate how this may improve mental health.