‘First thing they’ll do is take a deep breath’: A qualitative analysis of nature based interventions in forensic inpatient services

The world faces international-scale and interconnected crises in mental health and relating to climate change. Nature Based Interventions (NBIs) have been identified to hold significant benefits for mental wellbeing through connection with the natural world. In this paper, we report on the findings of a qualitative evaluation of a training course delivered to staff from a forensic secure inpatient unit. The staff were trained in NatureWell, an approach developed and delivered by the Natural Academy (2018).We interviewed six members of staff and applied a thematic analysis to the results. We identified three superordinate themes: (i) Experience of the training, (ii) Benefits for patients, and (iii) Putting it into practice. The first theme identified that participants valued the connections with each other and the natural world formed through the training. The second theme showed the significant benefits of NBIs identified for patients by participants. The third theme reflected that NBIs are viewed as a pioneering approach in the National Health Service, but they come with implementation challenges. We conclude that NBI’s have potential for both recovery orientated practice for patients and as a resource to bolster the wellbeing of staff working in forensic settings.