Adapting and applying a group facilitator training model to support nature-based social interventions for alleviating loneliness in five countries

Implementing psychosocial health interventions in new target groups in different cultures requires rigorous training. The ‘Circle of Friends’ (CoF) model has proven to be effective for helping lonely older adults. The aim of this article is to describe in detail how professionals’ training in using the CoF model was modified to create the ‘Friends in Nature (FiN)’ intervention in the EU-funded ‘RECETAS’ project for use in five other countries (Spain, France, Czech Republic, Australia, and Ecuador) and how and why the original training model changed in various cultural contexts. RECETAS was tailored to suit the local context and specific target populations. The training required several stages of modification: 1) changing from face-to-face training to online training for key facilitators in each country, 2) key facilitators adapting the training for local facilitators at each study site, and 3) local facilitators applying learning outcomes in the intervention groups. The CoF training model was modified at each stage, but its essential elements were largely maintained during the process. Loneliness is a stigmatized topic in many cultures, two study sites incorporated reflections on loneliness indirectly through a focus on social connection. The same study sites used an adapted version of learning diaries when mentoring their facilitators for group dynamics. Key facilitators at all study sites brought up the challenges of group dynamics. Planned outcome analyses will be used to evaluate how these adaptations influence the efficacy of the intervention. This article may help educators to understand the challenges of a multi-country educational project.