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Bee Well: Piloting a new mental health intervention for rural young people who have been exposed to a natural disaster

The acceptability, feasibility, and clinical utility of a novel mental health and resilience intervention targeting natural disaster-exposed rural youth

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12623001011673
Enrollment
1
Registered
2023-09-19
Start date
2023-09-06
Completion date
2023-09-29
Last updated
2023-09-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This project aims to fill a gap in existing services by helping young people living in rural areas who are feeling distressed about climate change. Specifically, the project aims to support the mental health and resilience of young people aged 16-18 in rural NSW who have been affected by natural disasters, such as fire, drought, or flooding. The program will take place outdoors for a full day, on two separate occasions. It will draw on the best-available evidence in the field of eco-therapy for mental health resilience in the era of climate change.

Interventions

The intervention is a single day workshop, conducted face-to-face in a natural environment outdoors. The workshop will run for a duration of approximately 8 hours and each participant will only attend the workshop once. The intervention will be delivered in a group setting, with 10-12 participants receiving the intervention together. The workshop will be delivered by registered Clinical Psychologists and Provisional Psychologists (enrolled in the University of New England (UNE) Master of Clinica

The intervention is a single day workshop, conducted face-to-face in a natural environment outdoors. The workshop will run for a duration of approximately 8 hours and each participant will only attend the workshop once. The intervention will be delivered in a group setting, with 10-12 participants receiving the intervention together. The workshop will be delivered by registered Clinical Psychologists and Provisional Psychologists (enrolled in the University of New England (UNE) Master of Clinical Psychology program). The intervention will be conducted through interactive activities. Elements of the workshop include mindfulness activities (guided meditation), group discussion about eco-emotions, a group restoration project (building a bee hive), and brainstorming self-care strategies (e.g. taking a break from climate news).

Sponsors

University of New England
Lead SponsorUniversity

Study design

Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Primary purpose
Treatment

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

Eligibility to take part in the program will be any individual that is : a) aged 16-18 years, b) currently residing in rural NSW, with c) self-reported lifetime exposure to any natural disaster (e.g., flood, fire, drought, or the 2021 supercell tornado).

Exclusion criteria

Ineligibility criteria are: a) individuals who fail comprehension checks or b) who have acute suicidal risk, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or as having a cognitive impairment/disability, are under the influence of a substance, or have any other significant impediment to participation - as ascertained by diagnostic interview (MINI) and/or clinical judgement as part of eligibility screening.

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026