Duration and economic value of a walking-in-nature therapy program: Implications for conservation

Nature exposure, such as visiting protected areas, provides mental health benefits that reduce healthcare costs and improve productivity, with global values in the trillions. Countries are bringing nature-based programs into mainstream mental healthcare via nature therapies. This study quantifies the scale, duration, and economic value of mental health benefits from a long-established nature therapy program and implications for conservation. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact design, we evaluated a 12-week nature walking program with social mechanisms for therapeutic adherence. Mental health was assessed using the Personal Wellbeing Index, a measure of subjective well-being, with participants and controls from the same subpopulation. Measurements occurred at program start, end, and 12 weeks post-intervention. Economic benefits were calculated using the financial value of quality-adjusted life-years. The nature-based therapy program improved the mental well-being of participants during ..., , # Data from: Duration and economic value of a walking-in-nature therapy program: Implications for conservation

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1wb](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hqbzkh1wb)

## Description of the data and file structure

We designed a Before-After-Control-Impact experiment.

Both treatment and control participants were recruited within members of a group who self-identify as “wild women” on dedicated social media accounts. These women are affiliated with Coastrek® via its parent company Wild Women on Top (WWoT®), a women’s outdoor hiking and mountaineering organisation. We identified 4000 current and active Wild Women on Top members contactable by email and invited them to take part in this research. Members enrolled to take part in the Melbourne 2022 event formed our treatment group, whereas those who had taken part in previous programs or planned to join future programs but were not signed up to the Melbourne 2022 event, formed our control group.

Our Before-Afte..., We received explicit consent from participants to publish the de-identified data in the public domain. Unique identifiers were used to anonymise the responses.