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Could prescribed park visits aid our mental health?

Canadian healthcare practitioners are now allowed to prescribe patients a year-long pass to the country’s national parks in a bid to improve their mental and physical health.

If you’ve struggled or are currently struggling with mental health issues, I know what you’re thinking: when has a medical professional suggesting you β€˜go for a walk’ ever actually improved your situation?

Well, while tales of this may certainly be considered meme-worthy on those dark humour pages you follow to help you cope, in Canada it seems as though they might be onto something.

Back in November 2020, following the first year of Covid-19 and the slew of psychological problems it brought with it, Parks Canada and Park Prescriptions joined forces to launch a programme in British Columbia.

Titled PaRx, the initiative has since rolled out to four other provinces and was recently cited by WHO as a means of inspiring conversation and the restoration of the Earth, which constitutes the basis of our wellbeing.

But what exactly does it involve?

Healthcare practitioners across the country are now allowed to prescribe patients a free year-long pass to Canada’s national parks in the hopes of getting them into the wilderness for a minimum of two hours per week.

Me going on a little daily walk for my stupid mental & physical health - )

It offers unlimited admission to over 80, territory that together covers more than 450,000 square kilometres of land and water.

With research showing the undeniable benefits of connecting with nature, Dr Melissa Lem – the brains behind the operation – considers it a progressive form of therapy in that it’s free and consequently accessible to all.

β€˜There’s a strong body of evidence on the health benefits of nature time, from better immune function and life expectancy to reduced risk of heart disease, depression and anxiety,’ she explains.

β€˜Our role is to bring this concept to Canada and institutionalise it, then spread it within the medical community at large and provide them with the resources and training to be able to implement it properly.’

Not only this, but besides the mood-lifting power of the great outdoors, the scheme could work wonders in the face of climate change as each prescription equals a potentially healthier planet.

According to Lem, studies have proved that children and adults who are more involved with their natural surroundings are both more likely to work to conserve it and engage in other pro-environmental behaviours.

BC Parks Foundation (@bcparksfdn) / Twitter

Sounds like a win-win to me, especially for those whose condition is eco-anxiety (an overwhelming sense of concern regarding the state of our world at present).

β€˜This is a breakthrough for how we treat mental and physical health challenges,’ says Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada.

β€˜It couldn’t come at a better time as we continue to grapple with the impacts of Covid-19 on our daily lives.’

So, could nature be just what the doctor ordered?

Given prescriptions such as this were one of the top global wellness trends of 2019 and continue to crop up across the globe as more and more countries invest in park prescriptions to combat the fallout of the pandemic, I’d say definitely.

A huge fan of hikes myself, I’m left wondering when I’ll be able to sign up. Maybe walking really is the best medicine after all…

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