USF study confirms Egyptians drank hallucinogenic cocktails in ancient rituals

New paper’s findings reveal a mix of psychedelic drugs, body fluids and alcohol likely used for fertility rituals

University of South Florida

 

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University of South Florida scholar Davide Tanasi holds a 3D-generated replica of the Egyptian Bes mug.

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Credit: Cassidy Delamarter

TAMPA, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2024) – A University of South Florida professor found the first-ever physical evidence of hallucinogens in an Egyptian mug, validating written records and centuries-old myths of ancient Egyptian rituals and practices. Through advanced chemical analyses, Davide Tanasi examined one of the world’s few remaining Egyptian Bes mugs.

Such mugs, including the one donated to the Tampa Museum of Art in 1984, are decorated with the head of Bes, an ancient Egyptian god or guardian demon worshiped for protection, fertility, medicinal healing and magical purification. Published Wednesday in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the study sheds light on an ancient Egyptian mystery: The secret of how Bes mugs were used about 2,000 years ago.

“There’s no research out there that has ever found what we found in this study,” Tanasi said. “For the first time, we were able to identify all the chemical signatures of the components of the liquid concoction contained in the Tampa Museum of Art’s Bes mug, including the plants used by Egyptians, all of which have psychotropic and medicinal properties.”

The presence of Bes mugs in different contexts over a long period of time made it extremely difficult to speculate on their contents or roles in ancient Egyptian culture.

“For a very long time now, Egyptologists have been speculating what mugs with the head of Bes could have been used for, and for what kind of beverage, like sacred water, milk, wine or beer,” said Branko van Oppen, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Tampa Museum of Art. “Experts did not know if these mugs were used in daily life, for religious purposes or in magic rituals.”

Several theories about the mugs and vases were formulated on myths, but few of them were ever tested to reveal their exact ingredients until the truth was extracted layer by layer.

Tanasi, who developed this study as part of the Mediterranean Diet Archaeology project promoted by the USF Institute for the Advanced Study of Culture and the Environment, collaborated with several USF researchers and partners in Italy at the University of Trieste and the University of Milan to perform chemical and DNA analyses. With a pulverized sample from scraping the inner walls of the vase, the team combined numerous analytical techniques for the first time to uncover what the mug last held.

The new tactic was successful and revealed the vase had a cocktail of psychedelic drugs, bodily fluids and alcohol – a combination that Tanasi believes was used in a magical ritual reenacting an Egyptian myth, likely for fertility. The concoction was flavored with honey, sesame seeds, pine nuts, licorice and grapes, which were commonly used to make the beverage look like blood.

“This research teaches us about magic rituals in the Greco-Roman period in Egypt,” Van Oppen said. “Egyptologists believe that people visited the so-called Bes Chambers at Saqqara when they wished to confirm a successful pregnancy because pregnancies in the ancient world were fraught with dangers. So, this combination of ingredients may have been used in a dream-vision inducing magic ritual within the context of this dangerous period of childbirth.”

“Religion is one of the most fascinating and puzzling aspects of ancient civilizations,” Tanasi said. “With this study, we’ve found scientific proof that the Egyptian myths have some kind of truth and it helps us shed light on the poorly understood rituals that were likely carried out in the Bes Chambers in Saqqara, near the Great Pyramids at Giza.”

Close-up image of a 3-D replica of the Egyptian Bes mug used in the study.

Credit

Cassidy Delamarter

The Bes mug is on display now at the Tampa Museum of Art and can be viewed in the exhibition, “Prelude: An Introduction to the Permanent Collection.” View a 3D model of the Bes mug produced by the USF Institute for Digital Exploration.

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Gathering a sample of the Bes [VIDEO] | 

Univeristy of South Florida scholar Davide Tanasi gathers a sample from the Bes mug.

3-D scanning the Bes mug [VIDEO] | 

University of South Florida scholar Davide Tanasi creates a 3-D replica of the Egyptian Bes mug used in the study.

ty of South Florida scholar Davide Tanasi creates a 3-D replica of the Egyptian Bes mug used in the study.

University of South Florida scholar Davide Tanasi creates a 3-D replica of the Egyptian Bes mug used in the study.

Journal

Scientific Reports

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Multianalytical investigation reveals psychotropic substances in a ptolemaic Egyptian vase

Article Publication Date

13-Nov-2024

 

Study finds cannabis-users would reduce use the most for job interviews, caring for children

People who rated the suitability of using cannabis in each situation more highly also were more likely to consider using the drug

University of Kansas

LAWRENCE, KANSAS — People who use cannabis at least once a month may consume the drug before low-stakes activities, but what if they had other responsibilities, such as taking care of their children? 

That question was at the center of a study recently published by a diverse team of authors at the Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment and Brown University. The researchers explored how next-day responsibilities affected choices about cannabis consumption among 177 adults.   

Study participants evaluated how much cannabis they would consume at increasing prices in the context of activities scheduled for the next day that spanned work, leisure and caregiving.  

The findings, published in September, showed that people are less likely to consume cannabis if they had an upcoming activity, which is consistent with other studies, and would reduce use the most for job interviews and caring for children.   

However, people who rated the suitability of using cannabis in each situation more highly also were more likely to consider using the drug.  

“One of the things that we know about addictive disorders is that people often will continue to consume the substance despite it causing consequences for them,” said Michael Amlung, associate director for training at the Cofrin Logan Center at the KU Life Span Institute. “That could be an indicator of a potentially more problematic substance use pattern.”  

Choosing to consume substances even when they interfere with fulfilling responsibilities is one of the signs of substance use disorder, identified by the American Psychiatric Association.   

Amlung said that prior research had not explored why or why not people might reduce their cannabis consumption before an activity.  

“The themes that we identified were really unique, and nobody has really looked at the specific reasons for why people might reduce their consumption when they have important activities happening in the near future,” Amlung said.  

Researchers found there were commonalities among people who wouldn't alter their cannabis consumption. This included people who believed cannabis use wouldn’t interfere with their responsibilities, or it was considered socially acceptable, so they would continue their consumption patterns.  

Amlung said there was also a sizable group of study participants who said cannabis had positive effects for them — such as helping them sleep better or reducing anxiety — in which case they could be more likely to consume the drug.  However, Amlung emphasized that the science supporting the viewpoint that cannabis improves sleep or reduces anxiety is inconsistent. 

A diverse team of researchers that included graduate and undergraduate students contributed to the paper, along with faculty and a postdoctoral fellowship researcher. Amlung noted that it’s somewhat unusual for undergraduate students to be authors in a published scientific paper, but they earned their byline with their hard work as equal contributors to the research.  

“This captures one of the biggest things that KU prides itself on, which is engaging undergraduate students directly in scientific research,” Amlung said. 

If students are planning to go into a research or clinical science field, they should have a strong understanding of what’s involved, he said. 

“The best way for undergraduate students to get that exposure,” said Amlung, “is to actually do research.” 

The research, “Exploring the suitability of cannabis use with next-day responsibilities: A behavioral-economic and qualitative study,” was published in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.  

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Journal

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

DOI

10.1002/jeab.4209 

Method of Research

Survey

Article Title

Exploring the suitability of cannabis use with next-day responsibilities: A behavioral-economic and qualitative study

 

$2.5 million grant fuels workforce development through mining education

University of Arizona College of Engineering

 

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The Freeport-McMoRan booth at the U of A School of Mines and Mineral Resources' Mines for Limitless Minds networking event in 2023. 

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Credit: University of Arizona College of Engineering

A $2.5 million grant from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation will support the University of Arizona in developing K-12 programs that educate teachers and students about responsible mining and inspire students to pursue education and careers in the mining industry. 

The grant will be shared by the U of A School of Mining and Mineral Resources, the Department of Mining and Geological Engineering and the Department of Geosciences Lowell Program in Economic Geology. 

The grant provides scholarships for U of A mining students, enhancing access and attracting top-tier graduate students.

The university offers one of only 13 nationally accredited mining programs, playing a key role in sustainable mining education and preparing future professionals for a workforce focused on sustainable materials and innovation. 

"We have experienced the challenges of a workforce shortage, as have several other industries, and we are committed to collaborating with partners like the University of Arizona to create innovative solutions to address the gap," said Tracy Bame, president of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation and director of social responsibility at Freeport-McMoRan. "Our long-standing partnership with the U of A not only addresses our immediate workforce needs but also lays the groundwork for long-term success by helping middle and high school students to see pathways to a future in this critical and dynamic industry, including the attainment of a higher education degree or credential."

Bame says Freeport also is committed to reaching underserved student populations to increase access to higher education and the high-quality employment opportunities. Investing in education and training beyond high schools is critical for resilience and prosperity in Arizona. 

"We know that supporting high-quality education is the strongest lever we have for meeting future workforce needs and increasing socioeconomic opportunity and mobility for everyone," Bame said.

This investment comes as the mining industry also adapts to the increasing demand for minerals crucial to green energy technologies and products such as cellphones, computers, medical devices and defense systems.

"This generous gift from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation directly addresses the critical need for highly skilled engineers in the mining industry. As we push forward into a future where mineral resources are essential for everything from renewable energy to advanced technology, it's imperative that we prepare the next generation of engineers to meet these challenges," said David Hahn, the Craig M. Berge dean of the College of Engineering. "This funding allows us to offer unparalleled opportunities for students, equipping them with the technical skills and hands-on experience necessary to lead in an evolving industry."

The grant to support K-12 outreach programs will provide Southern Arizona students with opportunities to learn about the importance of the mineral resources that shape daily life, where those minerals come from, and modern mining's advancements in producing safe, sustainable resources for the planet's growing population. 

"We need to better support educators in bringing Earth science and mining-related content into classrooms," said Carmala Garzione, dean of the College of Science. "This funding from Freeport-McMoRan will help us close that gap by providing resources for teachers to engage students in conversations about the important role minerals play in modern society. By fostering this understanding, we can inspire the next generation of geoscientists and mining professionals to contribute to sustainable solutions for our planet's resource needs."

This new grant builds on a 2019 $2.5 million award from the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, which supported K-12 outreach, funded U of A student scholarships, modernized facilities for mining engineering, and expanded research capacity in the U of A Geotechnical Center of Excellence. It will further enhance K-12 outreach, reaching hundreds of Arizona educators and thousands of students, while enabling leaders to analyze data, test new methods, and refine strategies for increasing student pursuit of higher education in the mining sector which is key to the energy transition and a greener economy. 

"The Freeport-McMoRan Foundation has generously supported mining education at the U of A for years," said John-Paul Roczniak, president and CEO of the University of Arizona Foundation. "This new gift will help the U of A train the next generation of leaders of an industry with deep historic and ongoing importance to Arizona's economy."

Freeport-McMoRan has partnered with the U of A for nearly two decades and has donated more than $6 million to the university since 2005. The company's support of the university goes back even further – Phelps Dodge, a company Freeport-McMoRan acquired in 2007, has been contributing to the university since the 1940s, when it helped fund the construction of the Mines and Metallurgy building. This latest gift, provided through the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, demonstrates the company's commitment to supporting the communities where it operates and advancing education in mining and mineral resources.

 

AMERIKA

Research finds no significant negative impact of repealing a Depression-era law allowing companies to pay workers with disabilities below minimum wage

Report comes as Federal government considers ending practice that allows businesses to pay workers with disabilities far below minimum wage

University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine

PHILADELPHIA—Debate continues to swirl nationally on the fate of a practice born of an 86-year-old federal statute allowing companies to pay workers with disabilities subminimum wages: anything below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, but for some roles as little as 25-cents-per-hour. Those in favor of repealing this statute highlight assumptions about reduced productivity along with the unfairness of this wage level—often used elsewhere to pay, for example, food service workers who typically make additional wages in tips. Those against repeal have voiced concerns that, without subminimum wage laws, employment opportunities for workers with disabilities may dwindle.

However, one new study has found no significant negative impacts in states that have already ended the practice, according to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. The findings, published today in JAMA Health Forum, include important policy considerations for lawmakers to consider as a new Congress takes shape.

Researchers studied two states—Maryland and New Hampshire—that had phased-out the practice, created in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to incentivize businesses to hire disabled soldiers, who were thought to be less productive in mainstream workforce. Currently, employers paying subminimum wages to people with disabilities must receive a 14c certificate that is approved by the Department of Labor (DOL). Many do so in what are known as sheltered workshops, often separating these employees—a majority of whom have intellectual and psychiatric disabilities—from their co-workers who do not have disabilities.

In the study, there was increased labor force participation of people with cognitive disabilities in these states after repeal of this law, with varying effects at the individual state level.

“We know that employment and wages are important determinants of health,” added Atheendar Venkataramani, MD, PhD, associate professor of Health Policy and Medicine and senior author. “This builds on previous studies that have shown employment and financial stability to be key drivers of health disparities among people with disabilities. Among people with intellectual disabilities, studies have found integrated employment to be associated with better psychological well-being and self-esteem and job satisfaction.”

Labor force participation rose in both states following repeal, indicating the “inclusive nature of repeal, as it brings people with cognitive disabilities previously not connected with employment resources into the labor force. This points towards the fact that these people are able to work in equal paying, fully integrated jobs as their peers who do not have a disability, given the right resources—something that was perceived not to be the case when this law was first drafted,” added lead author Mihir Kakara, MBBS, MSHP, formerly a Neurology fellow with Penn, and now assistant professor of Neurology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

The team also underscored the importance of state-by-state solutions should the use of 14c roles be repealed nationally, including the utility of funding for integrated employment into more typical workplace environments. But taken together, the results are an important first glimpse at a future where workplace dignity is valued differently, while still ensuring a net benefit to the economy.

The future of the practice is likely to made clearer soon: a bipartisan bill to phase out subminimum wage roles and creating more inclusive jobs was introduced in the previous Congress, while the Biden Administration is currently conducting a comprehensive review of the 14c program, with a decision anticipated soon.

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Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.

The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.

Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.

 

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Journal

JAMA Health Forum

DOI

10.1001/jamahealthforum.2024.4034 

Article Title

Repeal of SubminimumWages and Social Determinants of Health Among People With Disabilities

Article Publication Date

15-Nov-2024

 

How stress is fundamentally changing our memories

The Hospital for Sick Children

Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have uncovered that stress changes how our brain encodes and retrieves aversive memories, and discovered a promising new way to restore appropriate memory specificity in people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  

If you stumble during a presentation, you might feel stressed the next time you have to present because your brain associates your next presentation with that one poor and aversive experience. This type of stress is tied to one memory. But stress from traumatic events like violence or generalized anxiety disorder can spread far beyond the original event, known as stress-induced aversive memory generalization, where fireworks or car backfires can trigger seemingly unrelated fearful memories and derail your entire day. In the case of PTSD, it can cause much greater negative consequences.  

In a study published in Cell, Drs. Sheena Josselyn and Paul Frankland, Senior Scientists in the Neurosciences & Mental Health program, identify the biological processes behind stress-induced aversive memory generalization and highlight an intervention which could help restore appropriate memory specificity for people with PTSD. 

“A little bit of stress is good, it’s what gets you up in the morning when your alarm goes off, but too much stress can be debilitating,” says Josselyn, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Circuit Basis of Memory. “We know that people with PTSD show fearful responses to safe situations or environments, and have found a way to limit this fearful response to specific situations and potentially reduce the harmful effects of PTSD.”  

Together with their colleague Dr. Matthew Hill at the University of Calgary Hotchkiss Brain Institute, the research team was able to block endocannabinoid receptors on interneurons, and limit stress-induced aversive memory generalization to the specific, appropriate memory. 

Stress-induced memory generalization 

In a preclinical model, the research team exposed subjects to an acute, but safe, stress before an aversive event to create a non-specific fearful memory that could be triggered by unrelated safe situations, similar to how PTSD presents in humans.  

The team then examined the subject’s memory engrams, which are physical representations of a memory in the brain pioneered by the Josselyn and Frankland labs at SickKids. Usually, engrams are made up of a sparse number of neurons, but the stress-induced memory engrams involved significantly more neurons. These larger engrams produced generalized fearful memories that were retrieved even in safe situations. 

When they looked closer at these large engrams, the study found that stress caused an increase in the release of endocannabinoids (endogenous cannabinoids) which disrupted the function of interneurons, whose role is it to constrain the size of the engram.

Memory and the endocannabinoid system 

The endocannabinoid system enhances memory formation and helps link lived experiences with specific behavioural outcomes. In the amygdala, the emotional processing centre of the brain, certain ‘gate keeper’ interneurons have special receptors for endocannabinoids, and help constrain the size of the engram and the specificity of the memory. But, when too many endocannabinoids are released, the function of the gatekeeping interneurons is disrupted, causing an increase in the size of the engram. 

 

“Endocannabinoid receptors function like a velvet rope at an exclusive club. When stress induces the release of too many endocannabinoids, the velvet rope falls, causing more generalized aversive fearful memories to form,” explains Josselyn. “By blocking these endocannabinoid receptors just on these specific interneurons, we could essentially prevent one of the most debilitating symptoms of PTSD.” 

A surprising link between stress and the developing brain  

In 2023, previous research in Science identified larger, more generalized memory engrams in the developing brain than in the adult brain, just like stress-induced memory engrams. As they continue to explore this unexpected link between engram size, stress and age, the teams are also delving into how daily stressors may impact happy memories. 

“The many biological functions and processes that make up the complexity of human memory are still being uncovered,” says Frankland, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neurobiology. “We hope that as we better understand human memory, we can inform real-world therapies for those with various psychiatric and other brain disorders throughout their lifespan.” 

This research was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Dutch Research Council, Niels Stensen Fellowship, ZonMw Memorabel, Alzheimer Nederland, Toronto Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Consortium and Brain Canada Foundation. 

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Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.034 

Article Title

Stress disrupts engram ensembles in lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice

Article Publication Date

15-Nov-2024

Stress makes mice’s memories less specific

Cell Press

Stress is a double-edged sword when it comes to memory: stressful or otherwise emotional events are usually more memorable, but stress can also make it harder for us to retrieve memories. In PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder, overgeneralizing aversive memories results in an inability to discriminate between dangerous and safe stimuli. However, until now, it wasn’t clear whether stress played a role in memory generalization.

Now, neuroscientists report November 15 in the Cell Press journal Cell that acute stress prevents mice from forming specific memories. Instead, the stressed mice formed generalized memories, which are encoded by larger numbers of neurons.

“We are now beginning to really understand how stress impacts aversive memories, and I think that's good news for everybody,” says memory researcher and co-senior author Sheena Josselyn of The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University of Toronto. “We were able to isolate the synaptic mechanisms that drove this and also show that this same phenomenon can be manipulated or blocked by using systemically available drugs.”

To test whether stress impacts memory specificity, the researchers trained mice to associate one sound with stress, and another sound with no stress. Then, they tested the mice’s ability to react appropriately to the different sounds.

Mice which had been placed in an acutely stressful, controlled experience exhibited defensive behavior regardless of which sound was played to them, suggesting that the stressful experience interfered with their ability to form specific memories. In contrast, control mice who had not been subjected to stress exhibited defensive freezing only in response to original sound.

Because the stressed mice had elevated levels of corticosterone in their blood, the researchers next tested whether corticosterone itself could impact memory formation. They showed that mice that received corticosterone prior to training were also unable to form specific memories to the two sounds, and that administering metyrapone, a chemical that inhibits glucocorticoid synthesis, restored the ability of stressed mice to form specific memories.

Specific memories are encoded by groups of neurons called engrams. Most engrams involve only a few neurons, but the researchers showed that the generalized engrams formed by stressed mice were larger, because inhibitory interneurons—gatekeeping cells that usually keep engrams exclusive—failed to do their job. This change, in turn, was driven by endocannabinoids that were released in the amygdala in response to corticosterone.

“When we manipulated endocannabinoid receptors in just one particular cell type in one brain region, it restored memory specificity and the size of the engram,” says stress researcher and co-senior author Matthew Hill of the University of Calgary. “This whole phenomenon is mediated by a very discrete microcircuit in the amygdala, but you can do a systemic pharmacological manipulation and still prevent it, which is very encouraging from the perspective of whether this could one day be translated for therapeutic use in humans.”

In future, the researchers want to investigate whether stress also impacts the specificity of non-aversive memories. They also plan to examine whether exogenous cannabinoids (e.g., cannabis) would have a similar effect on memory specificity, which could have implications for PTSD management.

“We only examined aversive threat memories, but it would be interesting to examine whether stress similarly increases the generalization of a rewarding memories,” says memory researcher and co-senior author Paul Frankland, also at SickKids and the University of Toronto.

“Given that this phenomenon involved the activation of endocannabinoid receptors, it would be very interesting to see if a stoned animal shows a similar generalization response,” says Hill. “That's one of the things that I'd be curious to quickly run as a follow up, because if it did, that would have some interesting implications given that the whole conversation that exists right now around cannabis and PTSD is very confusing.”

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This research was supported by the Dutch Research Council, Niels Stensen Fellowship, ZonMw Memorabel, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Alzheimer Nederland, Toronto Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Consortium, and the Brain Canada Foundation.

Cell, Lesuis et al., “Stress disrupts engram ensembles in lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice” https://cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)01216-9

Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2024.10.034 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Stress disrupts engram ensembles in lateral amygdala to generalize threat memory in mice

Article Publication Date

15-Nov-2024

 

Time in nature benefits children with mental health difficulties: study

An inexpensive school-based program may help the most vulnerable

McGill University

A team of researchers from McGill and Université de Montréal’s Observatoire pour l’éducation et la santé des enfants (OPES, or observatory on children’s health and eduation), led by Sylvana Côté, found that spending two hours a week of class time in a natural environment can reduce emotional distress among 10- to 12-year-olds who had the most significant mental health problems before the program began.

The research comes on the heels of the publication of a UNICEF report pointing to the importance of green space for children’s development.

The study published this week in JAMA Network Open, looked at the effects of spending time in nature on the behaviour and mental health symptoms of over 500 schoolchildren across Quebec in the spring of 2023.

The researchers found that at the end of a three-month period, teachers noted that the biggest changes in behaviour occurred in children with the most significant problems at the outset, including anxiety and depression, aggressivity and impulsivity, or social problems relating to interaction with their peers.

Interviews with the teachers following the intervention also suggested that children were more calm, relaxed and attentive in class after time spent in nature.

“We found that children with higher mental health symptoms at baseline showed greater reductions in symptoms following the intervention,” says senior author Marie-Claude Geoffroy, an associate professor in the McGill Department of Psychiatry, and the Canada Research Chair in Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at the Douglas Research Centre.

“This suggests that nature-based programs may offer targeted benefits for children with higher levels of mental health vulnerabilities and potentially act as an equalizer of mental health among school-age children,” added Sylvana Côté, one of the paper’s co-authors and a professor Université de Montréal’s school of public health and Canada Research Chair in the Prevention of Psychosocial and Educational Problems in Childhood.

Students from across Quebec and from a range of economic backgrounds

The research builds on earlier observational studies but is the first to use a randomized controlled trial to provide concrete information about the benefits to children of spending time in nature.

Including the members of the control group, approximately 1,000 children took part in the study. All were between the ages of 10 and 12 years and in grades five or six. They came from 33 different elementary schools in neighbourhoods representing a range of socioeconomic statuses and scattered around Quebec. All schools were within one kilometre of a park or green space. Half of the children stayed in school, while a similar number of children took part in the nature-based intervention.

“The idea for the project came up during the pandemic when people were worried about the health risks of children spending so much time inside the school each day,” said Geoffroy. “My kids and I spend lots of time in parks, so I’ve seen the benefits of spending time in nature, both for myself and for them. So, I thought maybe we can have a free and accessible intervention where school children can spend time in nature, and we can measure the effects this has on their mood and behaviour.”

To be able to measure changes in behaviour over the three-month period, students and teachers in the control group and the nature-intervention group were asked to fill out short questionnaires. These were designed to measure children’s emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as their strengths.

Combining schooling with activities to promote mental health

During the two hours they spent in the park each week, teachers were asked to offer their regular classes in subjects such as math, languages or science. In addition, they were asked to incorporate a short 10-15-minute activity designed to promote mental health, with examples drawn from a teachers’ kit designed by the research team. The activities included things like drawing a tree or a mandala, writing haikus, mindful walking, talking about cycles of life and death in nature, and so on.

“Our results are particularly relevant for educators, policy-makers and mental health professionals seeking cost-effective and accessible ways to support vulnerable students,” added Tianna Loose, a post-doctoral fellow at Université de Montréal and the first author of the paper. “The intervention was low-cost, well-received and posed no risks, making it a promising strategy for schools with access to greenspaces.”

The researchers are hoping to follow up this study by working with teenagers to co-design an intervention in nature to improve well-being, reduce climate anxiety and increase connection to nature.

The paper

A Nature-Based Intervention and Mental Health of School Children. A Cluster Randomized Trial by Tianna Loose et al was published in JAMA Network Open

DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44824

 

Funding

The research was funded by a CIHR operating grant and by Manulife and FRQ-SC via the Observatoire pour l’éducation et la santé des enfants: OPES led by Dr Sylvana Côté.

For more information about the project

 

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Journal

JAMA Network Open

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.44824 

Article Title

A Nature-Based Intervention and Mental Health of School Children. A Cluster Randomized Trial

Article Publication Date

15-Nov-2024