{"id":19702,"date":"2022-11-04T17:38:53","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T16:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=130326"},"modified":"2022-11-04T17:59:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T16:59:09","slug":"community-garden-projects-helped-reduce-loneliness-and-boost-wellbeing-during-covid-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/community-garden-projects-helped-reduce-loneliness-and-boost-wellbeing-during-covid-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Community garden projects helped reduce loneliness and boost wellbeing during COVID pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Jason Goodyer\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 04 November 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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When the UK government announced plans for the country to go into lockdown in wake of the COVID pandemic in March 2020, many people were left feeling isolated, alone and depressed.<\/p>\n

However, a study carried out from 2019 to 2022 by a team at the University of Essex has found that volunteers who worked on therapeutic community gardens during this time actually reported an increase in mental wellbeing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The study followed 53 volunteers with existing mental health conditions that worked on therapeutic community gardens run by Trust Links, an independent mental health charity based in Southend.<\/p>\n

The researchers found that, over this period, the volunteers\u2019 levels of self-reported life satisfaction and mental well-being increased by 9 per cent, bucking the national downward trend.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is growing evidence to support the use of nature-based interventions for the treatment of mental ill-health and great potential to upscale the use of therapeutic community gardening through the Government and NHS\u2019 Green Social Prescribing agenda,\u201d said lead researcher Dr Carly Wood<\/a>, from the University of Essex\u2019s School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe pandemic drew this clearly into focus and showed that even as we coped with unprecedented disruption and upheaval community gardening has the power to help some of society\u2019s most vulnerable people.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team are now calling for more investment and research into the positive effects of therapeutic gardening in the hope that it could take some of the pressure off the NHS\u2019s mental health services.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough this evaluation with the University of Essex it is clear that our Growing Together therapeutic community gardening projects have a powerful impact on mental health and wellbeing, improving connections with other people, providing positive activities, giving people\u2019s lives meaning and hope, and enabling people to spend time outdoors with nature,\u201d said Matt King<\/a>, chief executive of Trust Links.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurther investment in these services will help reduce demand on the NHS and social care, helping us to grow communities and transform lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Read more about mental health:<\/strong><\/p>\n