“We ourselves are pieces of Nature. When we forget that, our health suffers.”
Dr. Melissa Lem is a woman on a mission. She is at the forefront of an important and growing movement within the medical system known as social and nature prescribing. She has been instrumental in bringing this evidence-based program to British Columbia, allowing her to marry her passion for the environment with her passion for medicine. Ultimately, this initiative shifts the doctor-patient conversation from “what’s the matter with you?” to “what matters to you?”
The movement is predicated on a growing body of research that emphasizes the health benefits of community connection and time in nature, both well-established social determinants of health. Social prescribing on the West Coast is a relatively new phenomenon, with funding and support from United Way BC, that connects patients, through link workers, to non-medical community resources that address needs traditional medicine often cannot.
Today, Dr. Lem, a family physician, takes a holistic view of her patients’ overall health and well-being. In addition to traditional treatments such as medications, she may also prescribe activities such as nature-based experiences, dance classes, art clubs, financial literacy programs, and other community initiatives. These prescriptions are facilitated by link workers, intermediaries between health care providers and community services, and are particularly powerful for patients experiencing social isolation, loneliness, or a lack of community connection.
Dr. Lem emphasizes, “research shows that social isolation is as harmful to your health as major cardiac risk factors such as smoking. These prescriptions build skills, improve health, and strengthen community belonging simultaneously.”
Reflecting on her career in medicine and why she integrates nature prescriptions in particular into patient care, Dr. Lem notes, “Fifteen years ago, there were a few hundred studies on nature and health. Now there are more than ten thousand. The evidence is solid.” Anecdotally, she has seen the impact of these prescriptions firsthand. She points to a patient whose ADHD symptoms escalated while studying in an urban centre as a university student. Alongside medication, Dr. Lem prescribed structured nature exposure, and the patient’s symptoms significantly improved.
The benefits of immersion in nature may feel intuitive and have been espoused by many for years. More recently, the Japanese practice of forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, has gained broader attention and been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, decrease stress hormone levels, and boost immune system activity.
Dr. Lem also notes that when she speaks with women in medicine, the concept resonates immediately. “Women more intuitively understand,” she says, “the connection between environment, social connection, and health.” In a world increasingly oriented toward screens rather than one another or the natural environment, Dr. Lem stresses the importance of remembering who we are and how we need to care for ourselves. “We ourselves are pieces of nature,” she states thoughtfully. “When we forget that, our health suffers.”
Dr. Lem will be speaking at Beyond Wellness on April 21st, a wellness event presented by Dr. Maryam Zeineddin (former president of BC Family Doctors and previous panelist for Women’s LEAD).