Nature experiences and their potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric assisted-living residents recovering from substance abuse

Abstract

Background

There is a lack of research on nature in psychiatric assisted-living facilities and the mechanisms between nature experiences and mental health. The use of the therapeutic landscapes concept in this context seems promising. To address this research gap, an exploration of the natural environment of an assisted-living facility for people with chronic mental illnesses and a history of substance abuse is presented and contextualized in therapeutic landscapes.

Methods

Qualitative interviews were used to examine what kinds of nature experiences residents had in their daily lives and whether and how these experiences could potentially be therapeutic for them. The interviews were then analyzed using content analysis with a deductive-inductive content structuring approach and an analysis of overlap.

Findings

Six different kinds of nature experiences were identified. These were, to varying degrees, associated with eight different kinds of potential therapeutic benefits that support the residents’ recovery and promote their well-being. Residents’ nature experiences also showed considerable overlap with the other therapeutic landscape environments – the social, built, and symbolic environment.

Conclusion

This study is the first to demonstrate how mental health and place are intertwined for psychiatric assisted-living residents with mental illness and a history of substance abuse. The natural environment in and around these facilities and the experiences they enable can play a key role in recovery and the promotion of well-being. The diverse association between the kinds of nature experiences and their potential therapeutic benefits has implications for policy and practice.