Healing Hives: Exploring the Effects of Beekeeping on Veteran Mental Health and Quality of Life Authors

Veterans experience higher risks of suicide and mental health disorders due to the traumas of military service, disabilities, and the difficulties of reassimilation into civilian life. Therapeutic interventions using human-animal interactions have shown promising results in reducing many risk factors affecting veterans’ quality of life. This quality improvement project sought to consider if veterans participating in a recreational therapy program focused on beekeeping and administered by the Department of Veteran Affairs would experience quality of life improvements using a standardized EQ-5D-5L assessment. Our results indicate significant changes in mobility, anxiety/depression, and overall health for veterans participating in beekeeping as a recreational therapy. Implications for practice and future research are presented.