Investigating Green Care and its effect on health and work participation

Janne Karin Brodin

More than 1000 farms and users of Green care in Norway are invited to take part in a survey in connection with the project “Effects of activities and work on a farm and its nature surroundings on health, social well-being and working ability for people out of work”.

So far, there has been no nation-wide survey on the effects that Green care measures may have on people’s getting back to work or work-related activity. Only more or less local evaluations of such measures have been carried out.

This is why IHA’s PhD student Lina Dalskau in cooperation with NAV, the farmers’ associations, the University of Oslo and the organisation Mental Health will be systematically investigating the success of these measures on getting people back to work. The survey will be nation-wide.

Lina Harvold Dalskau Photo: Janne Brodin

We need more than medical treatment
The conditions that most often keep people away from the workplace are muscular and skeletal problems, and lighter psychological issues.

It has been seen that life style and stress related illnesses lead to doctor’s certificates. This means that in addition to ordinary medical treatment, other measures are necessary to help people come back to the workplace.

Green Care – the concept
Green Care is an international umbrella term and is used about a number of different types of measures. It can involve anything from animal assisted therapy to keeping indoor plants.

“Inn på tunet” (“Into the yard”) has grown to be a fixed term in Norway. This relates specifically to green care activities on working farms under normal production conditions.

In addition to the day to day farm work, these farms offer a green care option, ranging from farm style day-care centres for children or activities for people with dementia. Institutions offering green options do not belong in the “Into the yard” group.

Photo: Janne Brodin

Real work
The target group for the project are adults who are not permanently out of the working life. The survey is expected among other things to answer the question whether being in a real-life work place and doing a useful job can induce a greater feeling of mastery and help the person get back into ordinary working mode.

The users are not in a patient-therapist or client-official relationship, but work alongside the farmer on a more equal basis.

In addition to that, the users relate to animals and have the opportunity of being outside in nature.

The working plan is adjustable according to the day-to-day health condition of the user.

Working alongside PhD student Lina Dalskau, scientist Bente Berget is the project coordinator, and professor Camilla Ihlebæk is project manager. This PhD project is financed by The Research Council of Norway.

Updated: 16.05.11
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