In the province of Barcelona, we are evaluating two nature-based interventions.
Social and therapeutic horticulture
One of them is a therapeutic horticulture activity carried out at the Mental Health Day Hospital of Mataró – Consorci Sanitari del Maresme. Consequently, this intervention is aimed at people attending the Day Hospital linked to the Mental Health Centre. These adults can be referred from the acute hospitalisations of the Mataró Hospital, from the Mataró Adult Mental Health Centre or from the Maresme Sud Adult Mental Health Centre, located in El Masnou. Access to the Adult Mental Health Centres is by referral from the primary care doctor.
Where does the activity take place?
The activity takes place in a community garden area located very close to the hospital itself, in a peri-urban area of the city of Mataró, in the Maresme region. It is an open space, quiet and connected with nature that allows working outdoors, in a safe and welcoming environment.
Who guides it?
The activity is led by a professional from the Day Hospital, who accompanies and guides the participants throughout the session. Their role is key to encouraging participation, promoting an atmosphere of trust and helping each person to focus on important aspects of their personal growth and wellbeing.
What does it consist of?
It is a therapeutic and recuperative activity, centred on direct contact with nature through gardening, which not only helps to reduce stress and improve mood, but also promotes autonomy, responsibility, concentration and relationships with others. It not only helps to reduce stress and improve mood, but also encourages autonomy, responsibility, concentration and relationships with others.
What do you do in a therapeutic gardening session?
– We start by collecting the necessary materials for the activity.
– We go to the community garden on foot.
– Once there, we decide together what tasks can be done that day: planting, weeding, pruning, watering…
– We distribute the responsibilities among the participants
– We carry out the agreed activities
– We go back to the Day Hospital together.
Today, the activity is part of the regular programme at the Mataró Mental Health Day Hospital and is run by health professionals from the Mataró Hospital, such as Maite Roman and Mireia Martínez, who are occupational therapists and who, together with the rest of the team of professionals at the centre, are responsible for promoting and accompanying this therapeutic horticultural activity.
Forest baths at the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park
On the other hand, we will also evaluate a nature-based therapy organised by the Sant Joan de Déu Health Park – Mental Health Network in the Sant Boi de Llobregat area. This therapy is a forest baths intervention to accompany grief in contact with nature. It is an intervention that is aimed at adults who, apart from going through a grieving process, may also feel stress in their daily lives. These people come from different parts of Catalonia and have been referred by various medical and social services, as the centre is a reference in mental health in the territory.
Where does the activity take place?
The forest bathing sessions take place in a natural environment very close to the Health Park, in Sant Boi de Llobregat. This is a privileged area, as it is surrounded by nature: only 500 metres away is the Llobregat River Park, and to the north, we find the Garraf massif. As a result, it is an ideal place to connect with nature and carry out therapeutic activities such as forest bathing.
Who guides it?
In this intervention, the sessions will be led by a professional, specifically trained in forest bathing activities.
What is the intervention like?
It is a proposal aimed at emotional recovery and well-being. It is a therapeutic experience, designed to help people manage stress and connect with them through nature.
What is done in a forest bathing session?
– It starts with an ice-breaking activity to create an atmosphere of trust between participants.
– This is followed by a quiet walk through the forest, with several stops. At these stops, the guide will propose activities to stimulate the senses (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and, if possible, tasting).
– Afterwards, there will be a space for discussion where those who wish can share how they have felt during the experience.
– The session continues with more activities to encourage connection with nature, such as exercises with mirror neurons (which encourage empathy and emotional connection), and another talking circle.
– Finally, there will be a last immersive activity and a closing with a joint reflection and a moment of shared gratitude.