Exploring the therapeutic benefits of a community garden and nature-based project designed for people experiencing homelessness: A qualitative study.

People experiencing homelessness face profound health inequalities, including high rates of mental and physical illness, problematic substance use, injury and reduced life expectancy. While the therapeutic benefits of greenspace are established, research on nature-based interventions for this population remains limited. This study explores how a tailored green social prescribing programme delivered through a supervised community garden and nature-based activity project can improve wellbeing amongst people experiencing homelessness. The research was conducted at a primary care centre in Scotland. Semi-structured interviews with centre clients (n = 11) and programme staff (n = 3) captured experiences and perceived therapeutic processes. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and informed by an existing greenspace programme theory model. Five themes are presented in relation to nature, the individual-self, and the social-self. Findings suggest that greenspace interventions accessed through tailored green social prescribing have the potential to be therapeutic for people experiencing homelessness. To realise these benefits, interventions must accommodate individuals' capacities and circumstances, which may differ from other populations.