Erja Rappe - Psychosocial effects of nature

1. 1.9.2016
Al
Psychosocial effects of nature
Green Building – Building Green in Cities
Dos. Erja Rappe 26 Aug 2016

2. 1.9.2016
Content
• What is psychosocial?
• Psychosocial effects of nature
• How to create a positive effect?
• Natural boosters
• Psychosocial interventions for
– Mental health care
– Elderly care
– Inmates in prison

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Psychosocial
• Relates to psychological development in and interaction with
a social environment.
• In psychosocial, the biological, psychological and social
dimensions of human existence are combined.
• Psychosocial interventions are aimed to provide ”normal life”
when people are affected by challenging life situations.
• In terms of care, psychosocial refers to methods promoting
coping abilities and use of one’s own resources without
medical treatment.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Based on nature’s diverse
and dynamic affordances
which promote cognitive,
physical, and social
functions.
• Increased activity level and
intake of information
supports control over one’s
environment and life
course.
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Autonomy and environmental information
”The more one knows about one’s environment, the more
autonomous one can be for any given level of competence”
Lawton, 1985
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Nature provides stimuli
for the senses which
attracts attention
– Alleviates stress, distress
and pain or reduce
awareness of them.
– Elevates mood
Supports appropriate
and positive behavior
and performance.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Provides hope to one’s
life which in turn
motivates for living.
• Supports self-
confidence and self-
efficacy
• Creates feelings of
freedom and relief.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Contributes the
aesthetic capital of
environment which is
considered to be
important for health
and wellbeing.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Contributes to social
interaction and
participation.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Healthy development of
children requires
contact with nature
– Human being is part of
nature, still!
– Living things are real.
– Understanding of causal
relationships.
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Psychosocial effects of nature
• Psychosocial effects
provided by nature
are not specific but
could meet different
needs in various
settings.
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Steps to positive effects
1. Sensual stimuli
2. Feelings of safety and
security
3. Senses of purpose,
signifigance and
belonging
4. Autonomy:
possibilities to do
choices based on one’s
own preferences.
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Boosters of psychosocial effects
1. Biodiversity
– Increases affordances
– Contributes to aesthetic
capital
2. Multisensual experiences
– Easy to interpret
– Activate
– Strenghten the experience
of existence and sense of
belonging.
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Psychosocial interventions in care work
• Parks and gardens have
been included in care
settings for centuries.
• Nature interventions are
commonly used in mental
health care, elderly care,
and in prisons.
• The spesific needs of
clients highlight the
desirable effects of the
interventions.
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Mental health care
• Alleviate distress, aggression,
anxiety, and depression.
• Awake and create emotions
which help to identify and
name different feelings.
• Draw attention outside one’s
self and problems and by
doing so activate to action.
• Provide comfort.
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Elderly care
• Sensual stimuli are
comprehensible without
demanding cognitive
appraisals
– Maintain connections both to
one’s physical and social
environment and to one’s
inner self.
– Support coping
– Particularly important to
persons having cognitive
diseases.
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Elderly care
• Perceptions awake
emotions, memories,
and associations which
reaffirm one’s identity
and support its
continuity.
• Sensations activate to
occupations which
provide meaning for
life.
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Inmates in prison
• Nature’s aesthetic is
appreciated
– Contributes the development
of empathy and responsibility
• Experiences of nature
inside fences widen the
lifespace and decrease
feeling of fear and stress.
• Nature refers to mental
freedom.
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19. 1.9.2016
facebook.com/ikainstituutti twitter.com/kainstituutti
Action for good ageing.
Erja Rappe
erja.rappe@ikainstituutti.fi
ikainstituutti.fi
Thank you for your attention!