A fishing programme is helping to change the lives of people experiencing mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) works closely with iCARP community interest company (Investigating Countryside and Angling Research Projects), which is based in Great Oakley.
iCARP uses fishing as a way to help people relax and learn a new skill. It also provides a supportive and safe space for them to talk to qualified coaches and other participants about their mental health.
It also breaks down barriers for people who may find it more difficult to open up in traditional therapy sessions, and complements the work our clinical teams also provide.
Many of those who take part in the fishing programme are men, so to coincide with International Men’s Day (19 November) we are highlighting how it is supporting our patients to improve and manage their mental and emotional wellbeing.
Our Colchester and Tendring community mental health team and Op COURAGE, a specialist mental health service for armed forces veterans, for which EPUT is the lead provider, are among the services who refer patients to iCARP.
Last year, one of EPUT’s occupational therapists worked with the iCARP team to develop a tailored programme of angling and outdoor activities for people under the care of the Colchester and Tendring community mental health teams.
It has enabled service users to attend iCARP’s fishing lakes once a month to learn how to fish.
Dr Mark Wheeler, a chartered psychologist and co-founder of iCARP, said: “The idea is to get people outdoors, improve their physical well-being, increase their social interaction with other people and develop their support networks.
“One of the major things we have noticed is there is a real increase in the bond between the mental health support workers and their patients because they get to spend a good four to five hours sitting on the bankside.”
This project was funded with a grant from the Feel Well fund, which was delivered by Tendring Together on behalf of the NHS North East Essex Alliance.
Patients and their families have shared positive feedback.
A participant who is recovering from a traumatic brain injury said: “I like being outside fishing, I’ve always loved it full stop and it gives you a chance just to relax – no stresses, forget about everything else. And it’s just fabulous.”
The wife of another participant said: “This has lifted his mood, and I believe it’s done him a great deal of good. He’s thrilled to bits because he’s met people with similar problems, and he doesn’t feel so isolated. He loves being out in the country, in the air, and with nature.”
James Foster, from EPUT’s North Essex Community Mental Health Services, said: “As a Service Manager for North East Essex Community Services and a Mental Health Nurse by background, I’ve witnessed across the system the profound impact innovative programmes like iCARP can have on individuals’ mental health and overall wellbeing.
“By integrating therapeutic outdoor activities like fishing into care plans, we provide our patients with a safe and calming environment to build resilience, develop social connections, and explore new ways to manage their mental health.
“Initiatives like this truly complement the clinical care we provide, helping us deliver holistic and person-centred support to our community.
“This initiative, funded by the North East Essex Alliance, highlights the system’s commitment to innovative approaches that enhance the local population’s mental health in new and transformative ways.”
iCARP also works with military veterans who are referred by Op COURAGE, a specialist mental health service that operates across the east of England.
The organisation has worked with the service for many years, which is provided by EPUT, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, St Andrew’s Healthcare, Mental Health Matters, Walking With The Wounded and The Warrior Programme.
Dr Wheeler previously worked in the NHS Talking Therapies service in Colchester and noticed a high number of his patients were military veterans. This led him to carry out initial research into how outdoor activities could help improve their mental health.
He found fishing was among the most impactful and popular, and military veterans receiving support from Op COURAGE were among those to take part in his first angling trips ten years ago.
About 80% of iCARP’s trained coaches are also military veterans, some of whom have completed the organisation’s fishing programmes to overcome their own challenges.
iCARP is working on a number of projects, including an extensive research project in conjunction with the University of Essex to explore the potential for angling to be prescribed in the future to help police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and coastguard rescue officers deal with trauma.
The research is being funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
Dr Wheeler said: “Our ultimate goal is to have angling on social prescription. If you are struggling with low mood or anxiety and go to a GP, currently your options are to go on a waiting list for talking therapy or to take a psychotropic medication.
“We hope our research will help demonstrate the effectiveness of a third option, where you could take part in a fishing programme while you are waiting for therapy or medication.”