Animals and nature for better mental health – facilitating rural entrepreneurship

There are many rural entrepreneurs who can provide health-promoting nature experiences for individuals with mental health problems. But the obstacles to running this type of business are many. So how can the difficulties be overcome? Scientists, entrepreneurs, medical doctors and politicians discussed this at a webinar earlier this week.

– Reduced stress levels, better sleep, improved mental well-being, and increased opportunities to return to or remain in work. These are some of the effects of using animals and nature in the treatment of mental illness that we have seen in our study, said Jeaneth Johansson during the webinar, which was organized by Esbri and the research project “Tur i skogen – entreprenörers naturbaserade och sociala innovationer” at Luleå University of Technology.

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Johansson is Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Luleå University of Technology. She and Päivi Juuso, a nurse and associate professor of nursing at the same university, have together with two other research colleagues studied the conditions for and effects of various nature-based interventions (NBI). This is a form of therapy in which animals and nature are the mainstay of treatment – for example, equine- or dog-assisted therapies, and cultivation and garden therapy.

– We see that there is a need for this type of social innovation. Health care needs to move parts of the treatment outside the white walls. NBI should work as a complement to the traditional care of individuals with mental illness,”said Päivi Juuso.

Horses as medicine

One of the companies in the study is Humlamaden Grön Rehab, which uses horses to provide medical nature-based therapy to prevent and treat mental illness. The founder, Lis-Lott Andersson, is a registered nurse and has been running the business since the early 1990s.

– Many of our patients have said: “Now that I’ve been with you, I could use the CBT treatment that I was too ill to receive when I got it”. Because patients often come to us when the healthcare system has nothing else to offer.

– Researchers at SLU in Alnarp and Lund University have been following our work since 2009, and so far they have seen significant improvements in our patients’ health in all measurements. That research will be presented soon, she said.

At the same time, Lis-lott Andersson testifies to the difficulties of running a business that works with nature-supported therapy.

– It’s not easy to be an entrepreneur in this. Because you don’t know if you will survive until next year.

Short-termism leads to instability

The obstacles for this type of entrepreneur are many, says Ulf Hallgårde, a medical doctor. He has led the development of nature-supported rehabilitation in rural areas and increased cooperation between health centers/psychiatric clinics and contracted farms for many years.

– Procurement problems are huge because contracts are short. It is difficult to start a business because you don’t know if you will survive. And with short contracts, it’s difficult to have continuity of business, he said in the webinar.

High scientific standards

Anders W Jonsson, Member of Parliament (C) and member of the Committee on Health and Welfare and the Committee on Social Insurance, was one of the panelists. He agrees that the procurement rules are problematic for small businesses that offer health-promoting nature experiences as a method. And he also points to another problem.

– The requirements for scientific support are extremely high in Sweden. That is why we need even more research in this area. Only then will it be possible to move forward.

Lis-lott Andersson believes that research should be focused on activities that are already up and running and working.

– In this way, we ensure that they can continue. Nature is healing in itself, and when you couple that with licensed and knowledgeable staff, you get great results. Research has shown that so far. But Humlamaden Green Rehab will soon disappear if we don’t take advantage of it, she said.

A hard-pressed health care system is another obstacle to introducing new methods in the treatment of individuals with mental illness, believes Fredrik Lundh Sammeli, Member of Parliament (S) and Vice Chairman of the Committee on Health and Welfare.

– It takes a lot to dare to do something different. Enthusiastic and courageous managers at different levels are absolutely crucial to bring about new treatment methods today. We need to allocate considerably more money to the healthcare system in the future for this to work,” he said.

Measures to overcome the obstacles

During the webinar, several other suggestions were discussed to overcome the challenges. For example, the panelists discussed the importance of long-term funding, both from private and public actors. But also on how the regulatory framework around the procurement process for small businesses should be adapted, especially for those working on social innovations in mental health.

– Short-term projects mean that just when you’ve built up your business, it’s time to end it. This means a huge loss of knowledge and ultimately a cost for those who are worst off, said Päivi Juuso.

A third measure to overcome the obstacles faced by small businesses in rural areas working with nature-based therapies is to invest more in research and carry out more health economic assessments.

– We are constantly seeking funding to continue research in this area. It is very important to build up the knowledge base that is in demand, continued Päivi Juuso.

– I can also say that we are currently working on the health economic calculations to get some more meat on the bones. These results will be presented later in the project, said Jeaneth Johansson.

WATCH THE WEBBINAR

The article and the webinar are produced in collaboration with the research project “Tur i skogen – entreprenörers naturbaserade och sociala innovationer” at Luleå University of Technology.

Contact
paivi.juuso@ltu.se
jeaneth.johansson@ltu.se

More about the project
The interdisciplinary research project “Tur i Skogen – entreprenörers naturbaserade och sociala innovationer”, is run by researchers at Luleå University of Technology and is funded by the Kamprad Family Foundation.