A transdisciplinary multi-scalar approach to foster mental health in Europe by means of nature-based therapies

Research project description

The PhD project will be embedded within the HEurope GreenME project (September 2023-August 2027).  All supervisors are involved in the project, which is coordinated by H. Cole and M. Triguero-Mas.  

GreenME aims to explore ways in which green care can be scaled-up to enhance equity in adult mental health and wellbeing, while contributing to various socio-ecological co-benefits. The approach taken by GreenME involves diagnosing, enhancing scientific understanding of the mental health benefits associated with green care, and empowering actors in green care. The goal is to increase the use of nature-based therapy and its integration within a multi-scalar green care framework, promoting just climate-resilient and sustainable healthy communities.

Employing a transdisciplinary and mixed-methods approach, GreenME will delve into identifying opportunities, barriers, causal pathways and patterns related to the (in)equitable distribution of mental health and wellbeing benefits from green care in the seven countries under study. Subsequently, we will co-create solutions and guidelines including an EU framework and country-specific schemes for bolstering green care along with an identified community of green care actors and design a training program for nature-based therapy providers informed by empirical evidence. The resulting evidence will offer replicable partnership models and guidelines to design impactful cross-sectorial green care systems, with national healthcare systems and local governments amongst the beneficiaries, fostering the adoption of nature-based therapy and a reevaluation of the functional aspects of green infrastructure. 

Some initial ideas of specific topics that could be the PhD focus: 

• Biodiversity and mental health benefits. 
• Cost-effectiveness of nature-based therapies. 
• Nature-based-therapies and their implementation in healthcare systems. 

Academic background / Skills

Candidates must hold a degree that allows admission to the official doctoral programme at UAB.  

Additional requirements for a stronger application are: 

Research Field 

• Environmental sciences, Biomedicine, Psychology, Medicine, Biology or similar.

Skills/Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in a discipline related to health sciences 
• High motivation on the topic  
• Data analysis. Experience on computing basic or advance statistical analyses with SPSS, STATA, R or MPLUS 
• Capacity to present oral communications or posters at international scientific events. 
• Capacity to work independently and as a member of a national and international transdisciplinary team 
• Interest and enthusiasm to receive the following PhD training that will be part of the project: 
• Co-write of scientific documents (papers, chapters, etc.) 
• Lead and participate in dissemination and outreach activities of the group
• Data collection such as administering questionnaires and interviews. 

Languages 

• English (High level) 
• Spanish (optional but desirable)  
• Catalan (optional but desirable)

Research group/s description

BCNUEJ group works towards more just, inclusive, healthy and sustainable urban environments. The group work is based on the theories and methods of urban planning, public policy, environmental sociology, urban geography and public health to explore: (i) to what extent the needs, vulnerabilities, knowledge and identities of the most disadvantaged groups are prioritized in urban planning, (ii) how underprivileged population groups organize themselves to deal with environmental injustices. 

AGORA group approaches mental health and pain from a multidisciplinary perspective. It conducts patient-oriented research with high translational value to clinical practice, focused on the economic evaluation of psychological and pharmacological treatments for pain and mental disorders. It is interested in studying which treatments cost-effective for patients, which specific profile of patients these treatments are more effective and how they act at a cognitive, affective and physiological level. 

.