Walk it off! The effectiveness of walk and talk coaching in nature for individuals with burnout- and stress-related complaints

Abstract

Abstract Mental health problems are considered to represent the most frequent noncommunicable diseases in modern times. A growing field is now investigating the implementation of nature exposure in mental health care interventions. The present study investigated a walk and talk coaching program of approximately 12–18 weeks, in which coach and client go outside in a natural setting. Forty participants (31 females) with burnout- and stress-related complaints entered the study, half of them followed the walk and talk program and the other half were in the (passive) control group. Stress and burnout related symptoms and health and wellbeing were measured at baseline, mid-term, and post-intervention. Evaluative questions were added to measure participants’ experiences with the program as well as their experiences with the natural setting. Results show that participants in the walk and talk group improved more on burnout, stress symptoms, general mental health, and wellbeing than those in the control group. These improvements were most pronounced at the post-intervention measurement, but some effects were already visible at mid-term. Participants also evaluated the program positively. The majority of participants indicated to have experienced added benefits of the natural setting.