Branching Out

An award winning program in Scotland is giving people suffering from mental health issues the chance to spend time in nature – with encouraging results.

When many of the participants of Scotland’s Branching Out program speak about their lives before the program, the issue of isolation is one that stands out. Clients speak of rarely leaving the house, of being cooped up in institutional surroundings, and of finding it hard to communicate and make connections with other people.

Branching Out addresses the issue of isolation and other problems suffered by those with mental health conditions by bringing clients together in the outdoors, in a 12-week program in woodlands designed to increase physical activity, team building, social skills and tool use over time. Results so far have been impressive. An early evaluation study found that participation in Branching Out tended to significantly increase the physical activity of those involved; and clients have reported improvements in areas such as self-esteem, motivation, sense of achievement and social skills.

‘Woods for Health’
Branching Out began in 2007 in the city of Glasgow as a pilot led by Forestry Commission Scotland as part of its Woods for Health strategy to encourage the use of woodlands for physical and mental health. Since then, with the support of a number of health sector partners, the commission has run nine groups per year in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as well as expanding into new areas in Scotland.

Branching Out program manager Kirsty Cathrine says the program was built around research into the benefits of greenspace and conservation for mental and physical health. The result is a program that caters to adult clients of both sexes, all ages , varying levels of physical fitness and capability and a wide range of interests.

Program groups of up to 12 clients meet once a week for 12 weeks, with each session running for about three hours. Participants are referred by healthcare professionals, and most groups are formed of clients from a single mental health service. Any woodland activity can be included in a Branching Out program, with clients free to choose which activities they pursue. Activities on offer include: health walks; tai chi sessions; conservation activities; environmental art and photography; green woodworking/willow weaving; bushcraft; learning activities and social activities to give participants the chance to just relax in the woodlands and get to know other people.

According to Cathrine, the range of activities on offer is one of the most successful aspects of the program. ‘The activities keep people enthused and focused, and physical activity and a whole range of transferable skills. However, being outdoors is equally important, as the changing nature of the woodlands gives people instant topics of conversation rather than just being in a room not knowing what to say.’

Lives transformed
Branching Out participants surveyed after the program tell of transformative experiences after long periods of isolation and hopelessness:

‘As a result of the program I went on to complete walk leader training, and I will gradually increase my role within my local mental health walking group,’ one client says. ‘I hope to eventually take the lead in these walks and encourage other people to take part. Walking is now very much part of my life.’

Another client praises the ‘safe’ environment provided by Branching Out: ‘I’d always loved the countryside, but had slowly withdrawn from it, as with the rest of the world, through my illness. With the help of Branching Out I was slowly able to rediscover that joy in safety…. Since then I’m back at my bird watching, [watching] around 20 species in my local park, as well as helping the Woodland Trust’s spring and autumn surveys of our changing climate.’

Cathrine mentions other clients’ stories: one went on to train as a digger driver after realising how much he enjoyed being in the outdoors. ‘Another client, who was divorced and lived apart from his children, found that the Branching Out activities gave him an improved bond with his children. He started taking his children for woodland walks, and adapted environmental art and bushcraft activities to use with them. Previously, he had struggled to know what to do with his children, and felt that this was a new start for their relationship. He now sees his children much more regularly.’

A project in demand
Branching Out has won a number of awards and demand is high for new projects to be established. The management team is currently developing a Branching Out training course to help support other environmental organisations interested in running a program in their area, and they have also produced a resource guide to help other organisations learn from the project.

Kirsty Cathrine is happy to hear from interested people in any part of the world, and can be contacted through the Forestry Commission of Scotland website. She would like to see the program adopted in other countries, and says it’s a satisfying project for all involved. ‘It is wonderful taking people outside, and seeing their excitement at the wildlife, old trees and changing seasons.’

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