A Long-Term Follow-Up of the Efficacy of Nature-Based Therapy for Adults Suffering from Stress-Related Illnesses on Levels of Healthcare Consumption and Sick-Leave Absence: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Main Authors: Sus Sola Corazon, Patrik Karlsson Nyed, Ulrik Sidenius, Dorthe Varning Poulsen, Ulrika Karlsson Stigsdotter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: stress-related illnesses; nature-based interventions; RCT; register data; pre-post study; health care utilization; therapy garden; CBT
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/1/137

Stress-related illnesses are a growing health problem in the Western world; which also has economic significance for society. As a consequence; there is a growing demand for effective treatments. The study investigates the long-term efficacy of the Nacadia® nature-based therapy (NNBT) by comparing it to the efficacy of a validated cognitive behavioral therapy, called STreSS. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial in which 84 participants are randomly allocated between the treatments. Long-term efficacy is investigated through data extracts from the national database of Statistics Denmark on the sick leave and the health-care consumption. The results show that both the NNBT and the STreSS lead to a significant decrease in number of contacts with a general practitioner in the period from twelve months prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment; and, a significant decrease in long-term sick leave from the month prior to treatment to twelve months after treatment. The positive long-term effects provide validation for the NNBT as an efficient treatment of stress-related illnesses.