P037 IMPROVING WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS: A PILOT STUDY ON NATURE IMMERSION THERAPY

Background and Objective: Nature immersion therapy, also known as “Vitamin N,” has demonstrated a significant impact on enhancing well-being and mental health indicators. This pilot study aims to investigate the effects of Vitamin N treatment on the well-being, mental health, and affect scores of hypertensive patients undergoing medical treatment. Methods: A convenience sample of stable hypertensive individuals participated in a standardized 3-hour nature immersion session. Participants completed pre- and post-treatment assessments using the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). Paired samples analysis, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, was employed to assess changes in scores, along with effect size calculations. Results: The study comprised 18 participants, including 12 females (64.67%) and 6 males (33.33%), with 6 having a history of diabetes. Following conscious nature immersion therapy, a significant improvement was observed in the scores of the well-being scale, WHO-5, WEMWBS, and PANAS positive affect scale (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Conscious immersion therapy in nature yielded notable improvements in well-being assessment scales and increased positive affect scores (PANAS), suggesting potential benefits for enhancing well-being in patients with arterial hypertension.