A nature-based intervention to improve mental health

Casting Away Trauma

Previous research has shown that angling can help reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This project will build on this earlier research to gather more evidence that will inform NHS policy around prescribing outdoor activities to support mental health. The hope is that, in the future, this kind of help will be available to all who need it on the NHS.  By becoming a participant, you can help us to achieve this aim.

Current projects

We will recruit a group of veterans and emergency service personnel. They will be randomly split into two groups (a ‘fish now’ group and a ‘waitlist’ group, who will go fishing a bit later) . This will allow us to compare and contrast the two groups, and gain a better understanding of the impact of the angling trips.

Each trip will involve a weekend angling event during summer or autumn 2024, 2025 or 2026. Participants will be provided with meals and overnight accommodation as well as angling equipment.

Everyone from fishing novices to seasoned anglers are welcome.

In the following weeks after their event we will keep in contact with participants and utilise questionnaires to find out more about the impact the trips have had.

We are now actively recruiting for this study

If you would like to find out more, please email us at anglingforgood@essex.ac.uk. If you would like to be a participant please fill in the recruitment survey.

Funding

This project has been funded by the NHS through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Related papers

• Wicks, C., Barton, J., Orbell, S., Andrews, L. (2022). Psychological benefits of outdoor physical activity in natural versus urban environments: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies. Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing, 14, 1037-1061.
• Wheeler, Mark and Cooper, Nicholas R and Andrews, Leanne and Hacker Hughes, Jamie and Juanchich, Marie and Rakow, Tim and Orbell, Sheina (2020) 'Outdoor recreational activity experiences improve psychological wellbeing of military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: Positive findings from a pilot study and a randomised controlled trial.' PLoS One, 15 (11). e0241763-e0241763. ISSN 1932-6203

Blogs

• Benefits of physical activities for mental health: a review