Opening doors to nature: Bringing calm and raising aspirations of vulnerable young people through nature-based intervention
Journal article
Authors | Hallam, Jenny, Richardson, Miles, Richardson, Elizabeth and Ferguson, Fiona |
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Abstract | This qualitative study explores the experiences of YMCA residents who participated in a nature-based intervention designed to support wellbeing run by Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and YMCA Derbyshire. The intervention ran over 9 weeks and involved taking groups of residents off site for a range of outdoor activities from allotment gardening to nature conservation in various outdoor environments. After the intervention took place semi-structured interviews, which explored the personal journeys of 8 residents who had participated in the intervention, were conducted. An IPA analysis of the interviews identified three superordinate themes: building social relationships, developing skills and developing feelings of self-worth and managing emotions through nature. It is argued that the intervention enabled the residents to feel part of a supportive community which enabled a positive shift in identity. Furthermore, the programme helped residents manage their emotions, supporting their mental health and promoting a general sense of wellbeing. This is especially important, given that members of the intervention have a history of mental health issues and often come from a background of higher socio-economic deprivation, where opportunities for social cohesion and nature connectedness are scarce. |
Keywords | Qualitative research; nature; wellbeing, community |
Year | 2019 |
Journal | The Humanistic Psychologist |
Publisher | American Psychological Association |
ISSN | 08873267 |
15473333 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1037/hum0000148 |
Web address (URL) | http://hdl.handle.net/10545/624124 |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ | |
hdl:10545/624124 | |
Publication dates | 08 Jul 2019 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 16 Aug 2019, 14:28 |
Accepted | May 2019 |
Rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States |
Contributors | University of Derby |
File | File Access Level Open |
File | File Access Level Open |
File |
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/93wv7/opening-doors-to-nature-bringing-calm-and-raising-aspirations-of-vulnerable-young-people-through-nature-based-intervention
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