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