A nature-based intervention to improve mental health: Efficacy of an angling intervention for military Veterans and emergency service personnel with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

This project addresses the critical issue of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within the community, focusing on Veterans and emergency service personnel. PTSD, characterized by trauma-induced symptoms, often results in impaired functioning and comorbid conditions such as depression and anxiety (Murphy et al., 2017; Rytwinski et al., 2013). Existing psychotherapeutic treatments create significant barriers for Veterans and others, including delayed help-seeking, lengthy waiting times, and a lack of military-specific knowledge among healthcare professionals (Mellotte & Murphy, 2017). In response to these challenges, the study proposes a nature-based angling intervention as a novel approach, leveraging the potential benefits of nature-based interventions (NBIs) for mental health.

This project aims to conduct a full-scale randomised controlled study powered to provide definitive evidence of the efficacy of the nature-based, group angling intervention for military Veterans and emergency service personnel with PTSD and to collect measures of the effects of the intervention at 6-months and 1-year after the intervention for the active (angling) group.

The ultimate question of this research is whether angling in a natural, social setting will improve mental health of military Veterans and other uniformed service personnel (e.g. police, ambulance, fire service, coastguard) with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We are evaluating a new, engaging way to help people with PTSD recover their well-being and build their resilience that involves learning to fish while socialising in small groups in a tranquil, rural setting. 

UK Armed Forces Veterans or emergency service personnel (current or former). N = 264