Green Care: A Conceptual Framework - Frisk i naturen

8
Conclusions
8.1 Green care – the evidence and the challenge
to research
Research into green care spans a variety of different subject areas and
issues, for example, mapping the use of green care approaches, describing
those activities and approaches, the level of participation, differences in
services between countries, perceptions of practitioners and participants
and many others. However, one area of research that is of specific interest
(and also one that can arouse controversy and passion in equal measures) is
that regarding the effectiveness of green care interventions.
There are two important issues with regards to research into effectiveness.
Firstly, effectiveness in which sphere? And secondly, what type of data or
‘level’ of evidence should be accepted as ‘proof’ of effectiveness?
In addressing the first issue perhaps the questions to be asked are what do
we expect of green care? and what do we want it to do for us? Once we
have answered these questions it becomes easier to address the second
issue.
We would like green care interventions to improve the well-being of
participants in some (or many) ways, including ‘quality of life’, physical
health, mental health, mood, psychological well-being, social inclusion,
employment prospects and so on. We want participants to be happier as
a result of attending a green care project. But clients have different needs
and green care projects are multifaceted – they present many different
experiences, activities and opportunities to participants who in turn select
(or are given) those that are appropriate or desirable for them.
Green care provides care. Clients work in a supportive environment,
they engage in activities that they enjoy, there are opportunities for social
contact, green care staff take an interest in their clients and the natural
environment in which green care takes place has been shown by much
psychological research to be pleasing to the individual. It would be
hard to dispute the benefits of such care provision and perhaps the best
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