Nature-based social prescribing may help reduce loneliness among adults living in socioeconomically vulnerable urban areas, according to a trial conducted in Barcelona by the European RECETAS consortium. The study found that loneliness declined among participants who received nature-based social prescribing, with those experiencing greater loneliness and poorer emotional wellbeing at the outset gaining more from a facilitated group programme. The findings suggest that support may be more effective when tailored to individual needs.
Loneliness is increasingly recognised as a significant public health concern because of its effects on physical and mental wellbeing. In Spain, about 20% of the population reports experiencing loneliness, while an estimated 100,000 people in Barcelona are affected. Social prescribing aims to address social and emotional needs by connecting people with activities and resources in their communities. Nature-based social prescribing extends this approach by encouraging participation in activities in parks, gardens and other natural spaces.
The EU-funded RECETAS project tested an intervention called Friends in Nature (FiN), which combines nature experiences with peer support and facilitated group activities. The programme aims to create opportunities for social connection while helping participants engage with their local natural environment and community.
Researchers recruited 320 adults experiencing loneliness from 12 socioeconomically vulnerable neighbourhoods in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Participants had a median age of about 63 years, and 80% were women. Half participated in FiN, attending two-hour weekly small-group sessions for nine weeks with trained facilitators. Activities included visits to parks, gardens, riverways, coastal areas and cultural heritage sites, alongside group discussions and peer support.
The other half received a 30-minute motivational interview and information about nature-based activities available in their neighbourhoods, which they could pursue independently. Across all participants, loneliness decreased by an average of 10.5% after three months and by 16.8% after one year. However, researchers found no significant difference in loneliness between the two groups after three months and no significant changes in health-related quality of life.
Further analysis showed that participants’ circumstances at the beginning of the study influenced how much they benefited from the different approaches. Those experiencing greater loneliness and poorer emotional wellbeing gained more from the facilitated FiN groups. Participants with lower levels of loneliness and better emotional wellbeing experienced comparable improvements from the lighter approach involving an interview and information about local activities.
The findings suggest that a single approach may not work equally well for everyone. People facing greater social and emotional difficulties may benefit from structured peer support, group activities and trained facilitators. In contrast, others may need only assistance identifying opportunities to connect with nature and their communities. The Barcelona findings also differed from a RECETAS trial in Helsinki involving frail older adults in assisted-living facilities, where FiN produced greater reductions in loneliness and improvements in several aspects of health-related quality of life.
Researchers noted that the Barcelona study included mostly women and had a median participant age of around 63, which may limit how broadly the results apply to younger adults and men. Nevertheless, the findings highlight the potential of nature-based social prescribing to strengthen social health in urban communities. By bringing people together through shared experiences in natural spaces, these programmes may help people develop relationships, participate more actively in their communities and strengthen feelings of belonging, purpose and connection.
More information: Laura Coll-Planas et al, Effectiveness of a nature-based social prescribing intervention on loneliness and health-related quality of life among vulnerable urban adults (RECETAS-BCN): an observer-blinded randomised controlled trial, The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2026.101821
Journal information: The Lancet Regional Health – Europe Provided by Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)
