Mental health is a major health issue among young adults, yet the medical infrastructure around the world lacks the resources and the methods to tackle it. With approximately 19.4% of adolescent girls having experienced a major depressive episode, it is high time we worked on the solutions.

The hike in the number of people suffering from depression can be attributed to the increased stress and people living more of their lives online instead of outdoors. Going outdoors can not only lead to a healthy lifestyle but can also help tackle issues related to mental health.

Young Scot and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) have designed a social media campaign #GirlsGetOot in collaboration with teenage girls to break the barriers women face in getting outdoors. The campaign has been unveiled on the World Mental Health Day, just a day before the International Day of the Girl.

The social media campaign, as part of Scotland’s Year of Young People 2018, will target teenage girls between 14 and 18.

Surveys have shown that despite the positive physical and mental health effects of visiting outdoors, girls aged 15 to 17 are less likely to do so compared to their male counterparts. This is majorly due to social pressure, gender expectations, and body image and perceptions.

Animations depicting and highlighting outdoor activities like going for a walk with friends, reading a book in the park, sharing photos of nature, or just listening to music outdoors are being designed in collaboration with teenage girls. The animations will emphasise how these activities are free and fun and can also help relieve stress.

Spreading Awareness is the Key

Lack of awareness and acceptance is one of the main reasons why we are still searching for the solution. Most people look at depression as being a result of hormonal changes or an emotional trauma. To raise awareness among the masses about mental health and the benefits that one can reap from nature, Francesca Osowska, SNH Chief Executive, recently completed a cycle trip 1,300 miles across Scotland. The passion of encouraging young women and the opportunity of directly engaging with the teenagers to motivate them in enjoying the outdoors is the reason she was delighted to support the joint campaign project.

Volunteers are working with Young Scot and SNH through the co-design process to create a digital resource. They aim to encourage and inspire women across Scotland through the digital resource to see nature as a space that is meant for all and not any particular gender.

Most of the teenage volunteers find being outdoors as the easiest way of boosting the mood and relaxing in the fresh air.

“Developed as part of Freshspace, the #GirlsGetOot campaign, a partnership between young female volunteers, Young Scot, and SNH, will be launched later this autumn.”

Freshspace is emerging as a great way of showing the positive benefits that getting out in Scotland’s beautiful outdoors have on the physical and mental health of young women.

At the very least, this campaign project can come out as an invaluable resource for providing insights on how experiencing nature is considered a gendered space by young women and how this thought is creating a barrier for them in engaging with nature.