Editorial: Nature-based social prescriptions for improving health and wellbeing

Social Prescribing offers a means by which third sector organizations can provide non-medical sources of support within local communities to address mental, psychosocial, and socio-economic needs through provision of a range of “social” activities (Chatterjee et al., 2018). Nature-based or green social prescriptions are one type of social prescription which aim to improve health and wellbeing through exposure to, and direct interaction with natural environments (Robinson and Breed, 2019), including activities such as gardening, nature walks and conservation activities. In July 2020 the UK Government invested 5.77 million in green social prescribing as a means of preventing and tackling poor mental health (NHS England, n.d.). Whilst there has been significant investment in green social prescribing, evidence of the health and wellbeing benefits across the broad range of potential service users is limited. There is also a lack of evidence of the physiological health outcomes and the feasibility and acceptability of green social prescriptions are not fully understood. This Research Topic aimed to bring together articles focused on the feasibility of prescribing nature-based activities for the treatment of ill-health and to explore the range of health and wellbeing benefits that can be derived from participation in different green social prescriptions.