World Mental Health Week, established in 1992, is right around the corner! It is always the first full week of October, where World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is always October 10^th. 

There is a fair amount of research that demonstrates how nature during the workday can improve employee health. For example, one study  evaluated burnout in nurses and found that taking daily work breaks in a hospital garden resulted in significant improvements. Another study by Daniels et al., conducted  a RCT (randomized clinical trial) using 45 employees, and found that those who participated in a nature-based program during work hours had lower scores on a burnout assessment, lower salivary cortisol levels, and improved cognition.

Brossoit et al. found that individuals who work and live in areas with greater natural amenities, such as access to water, topographic variation, and temperate climate, spend more time outside and enjoy time outside to a greater degree, and these experiences are associated with greater engagement and creativity at work. 

How is PRA contributing to Employee Mental Health and Mental Health, in general?

Many ways! My colleagues and I recently published a study with colleagues where we found significant improvements in mental health indices in participants of an employee wellness nature prescription program during the COVID pandemic. Participants had decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression, and feelings of social isolation, in addition to improved sleep.

PRA collaborated  with El Centro de Corazón Community Health Center of Houston, Texas in 2023 to address provider burnout and chronic stress. In continued partnership with El Centro, PRA will be working with El Centro’s entire staff during 2025-26, thanks to a grant from Texas A&M Forest Service, to provide guided nature therapy sessions, hands-on tree planting and tending, and access to PRA’s nature/park prescribing platform to address burnout and other mental health indices amongst employees.

PRA is partnering with Rice University’s SNEWS Lab to study the effects of these nature-based interventions on El Centro’s staff mental health, burnout, and overall wellness.

We are also very excited to announce that we are partnering with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to increase awareness of mental health conditions and how being outdoors can benefit those who are affected. We are working with WWF on podcasts, a web page, and information about nature prescriptions and how they can be used to improve mental health. The campaign will go live during Mental Health Week.

You might wonder why a conservation group is partnering with a public health organization. As we have noted in previous newsletters, working together just makes sense! Mental health illness is incredibly common, where about 21 million adults suffer from depression and 40 million have anxiety. It goes to reason that many WWF members either have themselves or a family member afflicted with anxiety, depression, and/or loneliness. We also have discussed that individuals who do not go outside are losing their connectedness to nature.

Motivating ourselves to go outdoors not only improves our own mental health and sense of well-being, but also increases our connection to the outside world, and the resultant enhanced nature connection may lead to environmental stewardship. Thus, our reason for promoting reciprocal human and ecological restoration; in other words, spending time in nature is good for us and the Earth.

What can you do?

If you have agency to make changes in your workplace, start an employee wellness program that includes time outdoors or nature-based indoors exposure, during the workday. If you are an employee, discuss the possibility of starting a program with your supervisor. Build in time outdoors before, during and/or after work. Something as simple as 1 nature experience a week can improve our health. Write yourself a nature prescription or, if you are a health care provider, start to issue nature prescriptions for your patients.

Professional of the Month

Speaking of Partnerships…

We have partnered with the country of Sweden, yes, you heard it, the country… to support them in becoming the first country “on prescription,” where a healthcare provider can issue a prescription for them to visit Sweden. We realize at first glance that this might seem a little extreme, and only for the few who have the means to travel to such a distant destination. But we have many additional thoughts.

First, Sweden is always one of the happiest countries and about 70% is forested. Individuals have the right to hike and camp on land that is even privately owned, so access is plentiful. Many areas of Sweden have no light or sound pollution, and Swedes culturally build in a daily break, called Fika, where they encourage coffee and conversation, a social prescription for sure!

Sweden also has some pretty substantial environmental policies in place to deal with global warming. Obviously, not everybody can afford to visit and the country wants to encourage individuals to embody the spirit of their country with their love for nature and culture. We applaud their efforts to prioritize health and wellness and to use nature prescriptions in yet another creative way!

Now gotta go. It’s Fika time!

We want to hear from you!