Bee Well Project
What is the Bee Well project?
The Bee Well program, developed by the University of New England, is designed to support young people in rural areas who are experiencing eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety —a deep worry about climate change and its impacts - is common among children and young people, and is linked with distress and reduced mental wellbeing. Despite growing awareness of this issue, there has been a lack of effective programs specifically designed to help young people cope with these feelings. To address this gap, our team developed and tested a new group program aimed at supporting children dealing with eco-anxiety. This program combines activities like nature restoration and nature connectedness, with facilitated discussions to help children express their emotions and develop coping strategies. Conducted outdoors, it encourages children to connect with nature and each other, fostering a sense of community and resilience. This initiative is particularly relevant for those who have been affected by extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent and severe in Australia.
What we found.
The study found that the program was both practical to implement and well-received by participants. Our results shows that this program was highly feasible, acceptable and participants also found that it helped them to feel better emotionally. Preliminary results indicated a reduction in distress and improvements in resilience among the children involved. All components of the program were found to be acceptable, suggesting it could be a valuable tool for clinicians working with young people experiencing eco-anxiety. This initiative represents a promising step toward supporting young people's mental health in the face of climate change.
How was this project funded?
This project has been funded by a Peregrine Centre Rural Mental Health Small Project Grant
Project Resources
The treatment manual and workshop are freely available and can be used without permission for clinical and treatment purposes. Use of the manual for research purposes is possible with permission of the Bee Well team, please contact scosh@une.edu.au or alykins@une.edu.au
Who is the project team?
Ms Rosie Ryan
Ms Joanne Robinson
