Domestic violence: The impact of a nature-based holistic development program on victims' well-being

Several studies have highlighted the benefits of nature for human well-being. Nevertheless, the incorporation of nature as an operative resource in social support processes of vulnerable groups such as domestic violence victims is not a common practice. The complexity and prevalence of domestic violence result in a growing need for innovative intervention modalities that can contribute to provide more effective support for victims. Project CarryOn - Ecosystem services and their role in domestic violence victims' support processes was developed to address that need as a nature-based holistic program that allowed participants to benefit from direct contact with natural environments. The effectiveness of this program in promoting the participants' well-being was assessed through a mixed-methods approach, which included self-report quantitative measures (e.g., life quality, psychological adjustment, and self-esteem) and qualitative measures (e.g., women's perception of their program participation). The results showed positive changes in all dimensions, with statistically significant improvements between the pre- and post-intervention evaluations, including overall life quality and psychological adjustment. The qualitative results also reinforced other benefits derived from the nature-based program. This study highlights the importance of including nature-based activities as a complementary practice to the existing, more traditional approaches, reinforcing the role of nature as an effective resource in promoting domestic violence victims' well-being.
This work was developed as an output of Project CarryOn— Ecosystem services and their role in domestic violence victims’ support processes, supported by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA Grants) and the Portuguese Wildlife Society (promoter of the project).
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