How Nature Therapy Can Help People of Color in Traumatic Jobs

Studies have routinely shown that spending time outdoors is good for health, so programs are being implemented in the United States in order to increase children's access to getting outside. From California's Outdoor Outreach which aims to help low-income students to the Every Kid Outdoors Act initiated by Congress which eliminates fees for national park passes for fourth graders, these initiatives not only get kids outside, but also teach them social skills.

Many veterans return to civilian life with experiences that lead to post-traumatic stress disorder, but a surf program at Camp Pendelton is showing promise as a means of treatment. Although there is no one-size fits all solution for PTSD treatment, those that have participated in Ocean Therapy are showing decreased signs of depression as well as other promising benefits.

Horticultural therapy – a mix of art therapy, wellness activity, and a way to reuse viable flowers – is gaining popularity amongst hospitals and nursing homes due to its nature-centric therapeutic benefits. Although medical research is limited, some studies have shown that it can have a positive impact on one's mood and participants have expressed sentiments such as, "It relaxes me. Just holding the flowers takes me away from my situation."

Overdose Lifeline is an organization in Indianapolis, Indiana that is using boxing classes as support groups for those struggling with grief. After noticing a pattern of anger in those the organization aimed to help, the group started "grief boxing" as a way to help work through those feelings.

To combat emotional distress that many students are facing, schools across the nation are implementing mock funerals, allowing students to figuratively "bury their pain." Although issues at focus range from drunk driving, to poor test scores to peer violence, the overarching goal is to make sure that students feel that they're being heard by the adults that surround them.

For many youth in India, illegal drugs are readily available, but rehab is socially stigmatized, government resources and information for narcotics are sparse, and there are few options for a user looking to get clean. A group of people in recovery in Sikkim has formed a football team as a means to recover, finding social support and exercise that is proven to aid in sustainable rehabilitation from drug use.

The key to ending social issues such as depression and homelessness may lie in prevention rather than reaction, and some non-traditional methods outside of the professional or government sphere are leading the way. Camerados is an organization in England that facilitates spaces where people can connect face-to-face. By empowering individuals to serve one another using their unique strengths or skills, they find a sense of purpose and community that helps avert crisis.

Central City Neighborhood Partners developed culturally-tailored "healing programs" to address mental health challenges in the Latine community. The program offers Zumba classes, art therapy, sewing circles, gardening, and women's healing circles, integrating mental health care into everyday community activities rather than isolating it in clinical settings. The approach builds on family and community values and provides services in colloquial Spanish, indigenous languages like K'iche', and Korean to meet the linguistic needs of residents.

Raw Art Works is a nonprofit youth development organization that provides art therapy services to 290 youth each week. Studies show art therapy can reduce psychiatric readmission rates for patients, and those who participated in the program say it has been life-changing, teaching them coping skills that supported them into adulthood.

Several groups are emerging to help youth cope with eco-anxiety and the mental health effects caused by climate change. Groups like the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit educate and facilitate conversations about climate change with young people, helping them build a sense of community with others who share their concerns. Research shows those who participate in climate work and have a social support system have reduced feelings of eco-anxiety and depression linked to climate change.