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Fiona Clarke
School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

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Journal article
Published: 15 June 2021 in Sustainability
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The boundary between mindfulness and forest bathing, two conceptually related therapies, is unclear. Accordingly, this study reports the strengths and challenges, similarities and differences, and barriers and facilitators for both. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven trained and experienced practitioners of both mindfulness and forest bathing. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four main themes: (i) differences between the approaches; (ii) the benefits of forest bathing; (iii) biophilia through forest bathing; and (iv) inward versus outward attentional focus as a distinction between the approaches. Both practices were found to benefit well-being, but practitioners revealed key barriers to mindfulness. For vulnerable groups experiencing mental health challenges or difficulties achieving a meditative state, mindfulness may introduce well-being risks. By offering a gentler, more intuitive approach that encourages outward attentional focus, forest bathing was found to overcome this barrier. Forest bathing is suitable for all groups, but adaptations are recommended for those expressing fear or discomfort in forested environments. The findings inform how to position both approaches in practice, as a first step towards social prescribing recommendations. Wider implications concern forest bathing’s potential to impact environmental well-being. Future research must garner comparative data, involve young people, and explore the feasibility of a forest bathing social prescription.

ACS Style

Fiona Clarke; Yasuhiro Kotera; Kirsten McEwan. A Qualitative Study Comparing Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing): Practitioners’ Perspectives. Sustainability 2021, 13, 6761 .

AMA Style

Fiona Clarke, Yasuhiro Kotera, Kirsten McEwan. A Qualitative Study Comparing Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing): Practitioners’ Perspectives. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (12):6761.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fiona Clarke; Yasuhiro Kotera; Kirsten McEwan. 2021. "A Qualitative Study Comparing Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku (Forest Bathing): Practitioners’ Perspectives." Sustainability 13, no. 12: 6761.

Journal article
Published: 28 January 2021 in Sustainability
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Forest Bathing, where individuals use mindfulness to engage with nature, has been reported to increase heart rate variability and benefit wellbeing. To date, most Forest Bathing studies have been conducted in Asia. Accordingly, this paper reports the first pragmatic controlled trial of Forest Bathing in the United Kingdom, comparing Forest Bathing with a control comprising an established wellbeing intervention also known to increase heart rate variability called Compassionate Mind Training. Sixty-one university staff and students (50 females, 11 males) were allocated to (i) Forest Bathing, (ii) Compassionate Mind Training or (iii) Forest Bathing combined with Compassionate Mind Training. Wellbeing and heart rate variability were measured at baseline, post-intervention and three-months follow-up. There were improvements in positive emotions, mood disturbance, rumination, nature connection and compassion and 57% of participants showed an increase in heart rate variability. There were no significant differences between conditions, showing that Forest Bathing had equivalence with an established wellbeing intervention. The findings will help healthcare providers and policy makers to understand the effects of Forest Bathing and implement it as a feasible social prescription to improve wellbeing. Future research needs to involve clinical populations and to assess the effects of Forest Bathing in a fully powered randomised controlled trial.

ACS Style

Kirsten McEwan; David Giles; Fiona Clarke; Yasu Kotera; Gary Evans; Olga Terebenina; Lina Minou; Claire Teeling; Jaskaran Basran; Wendy Wood; Dominic Weil. A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1380 .

AMA Style

Kirsten McEwan, David Giles, Fiona Clarke, Yasu Kotera, Gary Evans, Olga Terebenina, Lina Minou, Claire Teeling, Jaskaran Basran, Wendy Wood, Dominic Weil. A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1380.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kirsten McEwan; David Giles; Fiona Clarke; Yasu Kotera; Gary Evans; Olga Terebenina; Lina Minou; Claire Teeling; Jaskaran Basran; Wendy Wood; Dominic Weil. 2021. "A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1380.

Research article
Published: 23 January 2021 in Journal of Community Psychology
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This community‐based study investigated whether (1) a novel sport psychology informed positive youth development program, My Strengths Training for Life™, improved resilience and well‐being and (2) young people differed in outcomes according to demographics (gender, ethnicity, social inclusion, and learning difficulty). A total of 246 young people (M age = 19.74, SD = 2.31) living in a large housing service completed questionnaires on demographics, mental skills, and pre and postprogram resilience and well‐being. Baseline differences in resilience and well‐being existed for ethnicity and learning difficulty status but did not influence MST4Life™ outcomes. There was a significant improvement in resilience and well‐being over time, which was associated with mental skills development. Implications apply for policy, program commissioners, and research: (1) novel sport psychology interventions can improve the well‐being of disadvantaged youth, and (2) demographics at baseline should be considered in intervention planning and evaluation with this population.

ACS Style

Mary L. Quinton; Fiona J. Clarke; Benjamin J. Parry; Jennifer Cumming. An evaluation of My Strengths Training for Life™ for improving resilience and well‐being of young people experiencing homelessness. Journal of Community Psychology 2021, 49, 1296 -1314.

AMA Style

Mary L. Quinton, Fiona J. Clarke, Benjamin J. Parry, Jennifer Cumming. An evaluation of My Strengths Training for Life™ for improving resilience and well‐being of young people experiencing homelessness. Journal of Community Psychology. 2021; 49 (5):1296-1314.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mary L. Quinton; Fiona J. Clarke; Benjamin J. Parry; Jennifer Cumming. 2021. "An evaluation of My Strengths Training for Life™ for improving resilience and well‐being of young people experiencing homelessness." Journal of Community Psychology 49, no. 5: 1296-1314.

Journal article
Published: 06 November 2019 in Landscape and Urban Planning
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Green interventions which connect people with nature to improve wellbeing are increasingly being applied to tackle the current crisis in mental health. A novel Smartphone app intervention was evaluated amongst adults (n = 228) including (n = 53) adults with common mental health problems, with the aim to improve wellbeing through noticing the good things about urban nature. The app prompted participants once a day over 7 days to write notes about the good things they noticed in urban green spaces. Notes were thematically analysed and ten themes emerged. The three themes with the greatest representation were: i) wonder at encountering wildlife in day-to-day urban settings; ii) appreciation of street trees; and iii) awe at colourful, expansive, dramatic skies and views. Through combining the above themes with the pathways to nature connectedness this paper provides an extended framework of activities to inform activity programming, nature engagement media content, and ‘green health’ interventions. Moreover, the findings have strong implications for optimising city planning, design and management for the wellbeing of both humans and wildlife.

ACS Style

Kirsten McEwan; Fiona J. Ferguson; Miles Richardson; Ross Cameron. The good things in urban nature: A thematic framework for optimising urban planning for nature connectedness. Landscape and Urban Planning 2019, 194, 103687 .

AMA Style

Kirsten McEwan, Fiona J. Ferguson, Miles Richardson, Ross Cameron. The good things in urban nature: A thematic framework for optimising urban planning for nature connectedness. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2019; 194 ():103687.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kirsten McEwan; Fiona J. Ferguson; Miles Richardson; Ross Cameron. 2019. "The good things in urban nature: A thematic framework for optimising urban planning for nature connectedness." Landscape and Urban Planning 194, no. : 103687.

Journal article
Published: 12 September 2019 in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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In an increasingly urbanised world where mental health is currently in crisis, interventions to increase human engagement and connection with the natural environment are one of the fastest growing, most widely accessible, and cost-effective ways of improving human wellbeing. This study aimed to provide an evaluation of a smartphone app-based wellbeing intervention. In a randomised controlled trial study design, the app prompted 582 adults, including a subgroup of adults classified by baseline scores on the Recovering Quality of Life scale as having a common mental health problem (n = 148), to notice the good things about urban nature (intervention condition) or built spaces (active control). There were statistically significant and sustained improvements in wellbeing at one-month follow-up. Importantly, in the noticing urban nature condition, compared to a built space control, improvements in quality of life reached statistical significance for all adults and clinical significance for those classified as having a mental health difficulty. This improvement in wellbeing was partly explained by significant increases in nature connectedness and positive affect. This study provides the first controlled experimental evidence that noticing the good things about urban nature has strong clinical potential as a wellbeing intervention and social prescription.

ACS Style

Kirsten McEwan; Miles Richardson; David Sheffield; Fiona J. Ferguson; Paul Brindley. A Smartphone App for Improving Mental Health through Connecting with Urban Nature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2019, 16, 3373 .

AMA Style

Kirsten McEwan, Miles Richardson, David Sheffield, Fiona J. Ferguson, Paul Brindley. A Smartphone App for Improving Mental Health through Connecting with Urban Nature. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16 (18):3373.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kirsten McEwan; Miles Richardson; David Sheffield; Fiona J. Ferguson; Paul Brindley. 2019. "A Smartphone App for Improving Mental Health through Connecting with Urban Nature." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 18: 3373.