A Handbook for Nature on Prescription to Promote Mental Health

This handbook is about how Nature on Prescription can be used to support people’s mental health,
and makes evidence-based suggestions for how to develop and implement a high-quality scheme, in
the new social prescribing landscape. The handbook is primarily aimed at nature-based providers of
group nature-based interventions that target common mental health conditions, and that are (or will
be) delivered via social prescribing schemes. The content will also be of interest to link workers,
general practitioners, mental health practitioners, and researchers with an interest in social
prescribing. The content is intended to assist development of interventions that are beneficial, safe,
and sustainable. We hope this handbook may: help avoid pitfalls that may lead to Nature on
Prescription failing to support people appropriately; make the most of programmes from the earliest
stages; help reach desired outcomes for both organisations and participants; and help in designing
appropriate evaluations.
In this handbook we draw on research evidence and learnings from past and ongoing nature-based
interventions, and from other relevant fields. There is a wealth of experience from people who have
been involved in delivery of nature-based interventions in the UK. The content of the handbook is
also informed by interviews carried out with these individuals and other relevant stakeholders.