Slow Well-Being Gardening: Creating a Sensor Network for Radiation Therapy Patients via Horticultural Therapeutic Activity.

Well-being can reflect people's psychological conditions and be used alongside physiological parameters to evaluate patients' physical and mental health. The modern medical environment increasingly incorporates digital carriers, human-computer interaction devices, sensible spaces, and the execution of suitable algorithms. Slow design in healthy human-computer interaction is often used to reflect people's dependence on or support from behaviors or objects, promoting the stability of behaviors as well as meaningful and positive changes. Therefore, in this study, we propose a slow sensing model, develop a Slow Well-Being Gardening system, and use it to evaluate behavioral data from radiation therapy patients during treatment sessions and horticultural therapy. This study is based on SENS and slow design, setting the hospital lounge as a sensible space and establishing a sensor system. After a 10-day inspection, the process was evaluated and verified. Ultimately, data from facial detection (smile) and HRV showed that the patients in the experimental group experienced a significant improvement in their well-being, feeling better than those in the control group who maintained the most common state in normal treatment. Therefore, it can be inferred that the Slow Well-Being Gardening model is indeed valid and can be further developed.

Impact of horticultural therapy on patients admitted to psychiatric wards, a randomised, controlled and open trial.

Psychiatric inpatients often endure anxiety. This randomized trial assessed the impact of horticultural therapy on anxiety in adult psychiatric inpatients over four weeks, compared to standard care. Recruiting 211 inpatients from six units were randomized into control (n = 105) and experimental (n = 106) groups. Control received usual care; the experimental group had horticultural therapy alongside usual care. Anxiety, measured using HADS-A scale at four weeks, aimed to establish horticultural therapy's superiority. After four weeks, horticultural therapy significantly reduced anxiety compared to standard care (P < 0.001). These results argue in favor of integrating horticultural therapy into psychiatric nursing practices.Trial registration: No Clinical Trail: NCT02666339 (1st registration: 28/01/2016).

Pilot Study on Therapeutic Horticulture for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Mixed Methods Study.

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is common and associated with disability worldwide. Therapists trained in Therapeutic Horticulture (TH) use gardening activities and proximity to nature for therapy and rehabilitation. Patients seeking care for LBP would benefit physically and psychologically from participating in TH. Primary study objectives: The first aim of this study was to determine if and which patients who were receiving care for chronic LBP were interested in TH to help manage their pain. The second aim of the project was to quantify changes in LBP, functional tasks and anxiety upon completion of a TH session in patients with LBP. Methods/Design: This was a 2-part study with a mixed methods design: the cross-sectional survey Group and the pilot experimental Group. The Cross-sectional Survey component comprised a total of 170 patients; age 55.9±17.3 years; 58% women. The Pilot Experimental component comprised a total of 9 patients; age 48±14.7 years; 78% women. Participants Cross-sectional component: Patients receiving medical care for LBP with or without additional joint pain sites (n=170; age 55.9 ± 17.3 years; 58% women. Participants Pilot experimental component: A total of 9 patients (7 women); mean age 48 ± 14.7 years and mean duration of back pain 12.6 ± 8.1 years. Setting: Patients were receiving medical care at the University of Florida Health Comprehensive Spine Center in the United States, in the tertiary care health system. Intervention: 1-hour TH session that involved trained therapists using propagating and harvesting herbs planted at various heights in an outdoor setting for therapy and rehabilitation. Primary outcome measures: A therapeutic horticulture interest survey, PROMIS Pain Interference and Physical Function scores, functional tests (timed-get-up-and-go [TUG], spine range of motion), Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), 11-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NRSpain), 10-item PROMIS Global Health Questionnaire, Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-11 and patient enjoyment. Results: Cross-sectional survey component: A total of 2% of patients had not previously heard of TH and 68% were interested in learning more about it. Patients who expressed interest in TH reported a higher level of agreement that TH could improve mood, improve muscle strength, lower stress level, increase movement and enable patients to perform self-care activities with less pain (all P < .001). PROMIS Pain Interference and Physical Function scores did not differ by interest in TH (P > .05). Pilot Experimental component: In the pilot session, 44% reported using pain medication to manage their low back pain and 66% believed gardening could provide pain relief. Improvements were observed in anxiety (55.3%; P =.017), spine flexion (31.4%; P =.003) and spine rotation to the left (26.7%; P =.005). All participants believed that gardening improved overall health and spine motion while reducing low back pain. All patients reported having gardening experience at home and none had TH experience. Conclusion: Patients presenting to an outpatient spine clinic may be receptive to trying TH in conjunction with or in place of conventional medicine to promote health and well-being. The pilot experimental group data suggested that acute TH is enjoyable and may confer the benefits of reducing anxiety and improving spine motion. Future larger studies could use different dose response approaches, explore different TH activity types and involve participants from different geographic locations while controlling for LBP history and psychological status.

A qualitative study of the barriers to commissioning social and therapeutic horticulture in mental health care.

BACKGROUND: Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) is a process where trained practitioners work with plants and people to improve an individual's physical and psychological health, communication and thinking skills. Evidence suggests that STH can support individuals with mental ill-health, however, current commissioning of STH within mental health care is limited. This study aimed to understand the barriers to commissioning STH in mental health care and to identify potential solutions to barriers, to support more widespread availability of services.  METHODS: Individuals with a role in mental health care commissioning from across the UK were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews via zoom. Interviews explored factors influencing the mental health services they commission or refer to, their perception of the role of STH in mental health care and the barriers to commissioning STH, together with potential solutions to any barriers identified. RESULTS: Commissioners identified a lack of knowledge of STH and evidence of its effectiveness, and a culture which prioritises traditional medical models, as barriers to commissioning. Challenges for STH providers in responding to large-scale commissioning requirements were also highlighted as a barrier. CONCLUSIONS: To upscale commissioning of STH in mental health care, STH interventions need to be embedded within NHS priorities and information on STH services and their effectiveness needs to be easily accessible to practitioners. The sector should also be supported in working collaboratively to enable commissioning of services at scale.

A feasibility study on indoor therapeutic horticulture to alleviate sleep and anxiety problems: The impact of plants and activity choice on its therapeutic effect.

INTRODUCTION: Therapeutic horticulture (TH) is increasingly being applied for sub-health or patient mental health care. Whether plant and activity type will affect TH's effectiveness is unclear. AIM: To evaluate the feasibility of an indoor TH for alleviating the anxiety symptoms and sleeping problems of people with poor sleep quality, and explore the potential affection of plant and activity type on health benefits. METHOD: Thirty subjects (all with sleep problems and half with anxiety problems) were randomly assigned to three groups to do horticultural activities with ornamental plants, general aromatic plants, or aromatic plants with reported mental health functions, respectively. Six indoor TH activities were then held sequentially within two weeks. Psychological scales, subjective feedback questionnaires, and physiological indicators were used as evaluation indexes before and after horticulture activities. RESULTS: The TH relieved subjects' sleep and anxiety problems and was particularly effective in alleviating anxiety among people with high anxiety levels. Using ornamental plants was more effective in relieving stress while functional aromatic plants performed better in sleep improvement and satisfaction to TH. Each horticultural activity could improve mood state but showed different effects on the vitality of the participants. CONCLUSION: The above findings provided some basis for the potential benefits of selecting plants and activities based on psychological care needs in the development of TH plans. Future research that expands upon the current project is warranted. A larger sample size is beneficial for obtaining more powerful statistical results.

Effectiveness of a multicomponent activity and horticultural intervention for the hospitalized older adults: A randomized controlled trial: Effectiveness of Intervention for the Hospitalized Older Adults.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of different intervention programs in improving function among hospitalized older individuals using the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA). A randomized controlled trial consisted of three groups: routine care, horticulture, and multicomponent activities (n = 32 each). Horticultural and multicomponent activity interventions showed beneficial effects on the CGA in hospitalized older individuals, particularly regarding cognitive function and quality-of-life. Additionally, horticultural activities significantly contributed to the perception of older adults' health status. We recommend to select older patients in geriatric wards with long-term hospitalization and adjust the frequency of activities or choose a single intervention program to provide long-term and effective intervention effects.

Therapeutic Horticulture for Dementia: A Systematic Review.

Dementia is on the rise globally and includes complex cognitive and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Prioritizing neuropsychiatric symptom management in persons living with dementia (PLWD) can reduce rates of adverse events and reduce caregiver burden. Therefore, health care providers and caregivers should explore all available therapeutic modalities for PLWD to provide high-quality care to these individuals. The current systematic review synthesizes the evidence concerning the use of therapeutic horticulture (TH) as a nonpharmacological tool for decreasing neuro-psychiatric symptoms, such as agitation and depression, in PLWD. Findings support the use of TH as a low-cost intervention that nurses can use as an important aspect of the care plan for PLWD, particularly in dementia care facilities. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(7), 49-52.].

The effect of horticultural therapy on older adults in pension institutions: a systematic review.

AIMS: To systematically evaluate the effect of horticultural therapy (HT) on older adults in pension institutions. DESIGN: Systematic review was conducted based on the checklist for PRISMA. METHODS: The searches were conducted in the Cochrane library, Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), and the China Network Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), from their inception until May 2022. In addition, manual screening of references of relevant studies was performed to identify potential studies. We conducted a review of quantitative studies published in Chinese or English. Experimental studies were evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) Scale. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies involving 1214 participants were included in this review, and the quality of the literature was good. Sixteen studies were Structured HT. The effects of HT were significant in terms of physical, physiological, and psychological aspects. In addition, HT improved satisfaction, quality of life, cognition, and social relationships, and no negative events were found. CONCLUSION: As an affordable non-pharmacological intervention with a wide range of effects, horticultural therapy is suitable for older adults in pension institutions and is worth promoting in pension institutions, communities, homes, hospitals, and other institutions that require long-term care.

Effectiveness of horticultural therapy in aged people with depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Depression, an increasing global crisis, has affected many people's daily life, especially for older adults. Horticultural therapy has been widely used in non-pharmacological treatment for patients with depression, with a body of studies demonstrating its therapeutic effects. However, a lack of systematic reviews and meta-analyses makes it difficult to get a holistic picture of this research field. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the reliability of the previous studies and the effectiveness of horticultural therapy (including the intervention of environmental settings, activities, and duration) on older adults with depression. Methods: This systematic review was conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched relevant studies in multiple databases, and the original search was finished on 25 September 2022. We included studies using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental designs. Results: We yielded a total of 7,366 studies and finally included 13 which involved 698 aged people with depression. Results from meta-analysis indicated significant effects of horticultural therapy on reducing depressive symptoms for the older adults. Besides, we found different outcomes among various horticultural interventions (such as environmental setting, activities, and duration). Depression reduction was more effective in care-providing settings than in community settings; participatory activities were more effective in reducing depression than observational activities; intervention of 4-8 weeks might represent the optimal course of treatment compared to interventions more than 8 weeks in duration. Conclusion: We came up with a comprehensive set of recommendations based on the meta-analysis: aged people in care-providing settings with depression could get the most benefit from horticultural therapy by participating in participatory activities for 4-8 weeks. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022363134, identifier CRD42022363134.

Social and therapeutic horticulture as a palliative care intervention.

OBJECTIVES: Social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) is little known in palliative care. This evaluation sets out to explore the effectiveness of STH in relieving distress, managing symptoms and supporting people with advanced and terminal illness to live well throughout each stage of the disease trajectory. METHODS: STH was provided for 218 patients in an indoor hospice setting during a 2-year period (April 2018 to March 2020). Nature-based interventions, such as potting up plants, floristry and creating miniature gardens, were adapted for all participants to create a nature connection experience while indoors. The Distress Thermometer (DT) was used to measure perceived distress before and after each session, and patients' reports of their subjective experience were recorded verbatim. RESULTS: Results showed a statistically significant reduction in DT scores of between 54% and 60%. Patients also self-reported an improvement in quality of life and well-being and in management of symptoms including a reduction in pain. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation shows that STH is effective in relieving distress in palliative care and may be considered a valued therapeutic intervention. The findings can inform planning within hospices and palliative care settings to enhance the care of patients and their family members.

O cuidado em saúde promovido pelas religiões afro-brasileiras / Health care promoted by afro-brazilian religions / El cuidado en salud promovido por las religiones afrobrasileñas

No decorrer da história, sempre foram infindáveis os casos em que os sujeitos recorriam a centros espíritas ou terreiros de religiões de matrizes africanas em decorrência de problemas como doenças, desempregos ou amores mal resolvidos, com o objetivo de saná-los. Por conta disso, este artigo visa apresentar os resultados da pesquisa relacionados ao objetivo de mapear os processos de cuidado em saúde ofertados em três terreiros de umbanda de uma cidade do litoral piauiense. Para isso, utilizamos o referencial da Análise Institucional "no papel". Os participantes foram três líderes de terreiros e os respectivos praticantes/consulentes dos seus estabelecimentos religiosos. Identificamos perspectivas de cuidado que se contrapunham às racionalidades biomédicas, positivistas e cartesianas, e faziam referência ao uso de plantas medicinais, ao recebimento de rezas e passes e à consulta oracular. A partir desses resultados, podemos perceber ser cada vez mais necessário, portanto, que os povos de terreiros protagonizem a construção, implementação e avaliação das políticas públicas que lhe sejam específicas.(AU)

In history, there have always been endless cases of people turning to spiritual centers or terreiros of religions of African matrices due to problems such as illnesses, unemployment, or unresolved love affairs. Therefore, this article aims to present the research results related to the objective of mapping the health care processes offered in three Umbanda terreiros of a city on the Piauí Coast. For this, we use the Institutional Analysis reference "on Paper." The participants were three leaders of terreiros and the respective practitioners/consultants of their religious establishments. We identified perspectives of care that contrasted with biomedical, positivist, and Cartesian rationalities and referred to the use of medicinal plants, the prescript of prayers and passes, and oracular consultation. From these results, we can see that it is increasingly necessary, therefore, that the peoples of the terreiros lead the construction, implementation, and evaluation of public policies that are specific to them.(AU)

A lo largo de la historia, siempre hubo casos en los cuales las personas buscan en los centros espíritas o terreros de religiones africanas la cura para sus problemas, como enfermedades, desempleo o amoríos mal resueltos. Por este motivo, este artículo pretende presentar los resultados de la investigación con el objetivo de mapear los procesos de cuidado en salud ofrecidos en tres terreros de umbanda de una ciudad del litoral de Piauí (Brasil). Para ello, se utiliza el referencial del Análisis Institucional "en el Papel". Los participantes fueron tres líderes de terreros y los respectivos practicantes / consultivos de los establecimientos religiosos que los mismos conducían. Se identificaron perspectivas de cuidado que se contraponían a las racionalidades biomédicas, positivistas y cartesianas, y hacían referencia al uso de plantas medicinales, al recibimiento de rezos y pases y a la consulta oracular. Los resultados permiten concluir que es cada vez más necesario que los pueblos de terreros sean agentes protagónicos de la construcción, implementación y evaluación de las políticas públicas destinadas específicamente para ellos.(AU)

Horticultural Therapy May Reduce Psychological and Physiological Stress in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study.

Studies in psychiatric populations have found a positive effect of Horticultural therapy (HCT) on reductions in stress levels. The main objective of the present pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the addition of HCT to conventional clinical treatment (Treatment as Usual, TaU) in a sample of six female adolescents with anorexia nervosa restricting type (AN-R), as compared to six AN-R patients, matched for sex and age, under TaU only. This is a prospective, non-profit, pilot study on patients with a previous diagnosis of AN-R and BMI < 16, recruited in 2020 in clinical settings. At enrolment (T0) and after treatment completion (TF), psychiatric assessment was performed. At T0, all the patients underwent: baseline electrocardiogram acquisition with a wearable chest strap for recording heart rate and its variability; skin conductance registration and thermal mapping of the individual's face. An olfactory identification test was administered both to evaluate the olfactory sensoriality and to assess the induced stress. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed to analyze modifications in clinical and physiological variables, considering time (T0, TF) as a within-subjects factor and group (experimental vs. control) as between-subjects factors. When the ANOVA was significant, post hoc analysis was performed by Paired Sample T-tests. Only in the HCT group, stress response levels, as measured by the biological parameters, improved over time. The body uneasiness level and the affective problem measures displayed a significant improvement in the HCT subjects. HCT seems to have a positive influence on stress levels in AN-R.

Horticultural Therapy for Improving the Work Performance and Interpersonal Relationships of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.

For the occupational adaptation and social integration of the intellectually disabled, it is helpful to improve their work performance and interpersonal skills. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of horticultural therapy (HT) programs to improve work performance and interpersonal relationships of persons with intellectual disabilities. Based on observations and analyses of how people with intellectual disabilities work, we have developed a 12-session HT program that includes upper limb movements and physical activities to improve hand function. We recruited, with the consent of their legal guardians, 14 (6 males, 8 females) participants who had intellectual disabilities and were working at a sheltered workshop in K-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The program consisted of twelve sixty-minute sessions that were conducted twice a week at a rooftop garden. For pre- and post-evaluation of the program, the survey of functional adaptive behavior (SFAB), interpersonal negotiation strategies, a horticultural job evaluation (self), hand function tests (pegboard, pinch gauge, fingertips), and blood sample tests for physiological indicators of exercise were conducted. Interpersonal negotiation strategies, functional adaptive behaviors, and physical abilities for job behaviors, including agility and grasping of the hand, improved significantly from before to after the program (p < 0.05). A positive result of VEGF (vascular endothermic growth factor) in blood sample tests implies the need for further research on cognitive changes caused by horticultural activities. This study has limitations due to the small number of participants, but the results suggest that low- to medium-intensity horticultural treatment programs using the upper body and hands could be effective for vocational rehabilitation of the intellectually disabled.

The effect of horticultural therapy on depressive symptoms among the elderly: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of horticultural therapy on depressive symptoms in the elderly and determine the potential moderators of the intervention effect. Methods: In early June 2022, randomized controlled trials and Quasi-experimental studies were searched on Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, Medline, PubMed, CNKI, WANFANG DATA, and CQVIP. Three independent authors proposed the following inclusion criterion for this study: the elderly with applied horticultural therapy intervention compared to non-HT intervention. From a total of 3,068 records, only 34 studies met the inclusion criteria. After the full-text screening, 13 studies were included in the analysis. An assessment of the risk of bias was conducted using RoBINS-I and RoB 2 tools. The comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.3 tool was used for the meta-analysis. Results: Meta-analysis suggested that mean depression scores of elderly people who underwent horticultural therapy intervention were significantly lower than those who did not receive HT therapy. More significant effects were found for the elderly with mean age equal to or over 75 years instead of younger than 75 years, in randomized controlled trials instead of quasi-experimental studies, for studies with more than 20 participants receiving horticultural therapy at the same time and place instead of equal to or fewer than 20 horticultural therapy participants. Conclusions: This evidence supported that horticultural therapy had a significant positive effect on the depressive symptoms outcomes for the elderly. Therefore, our data revealed that horticultural therapy could be considered as a part of therapy in depressive symptoms reduction programs. Due to the high degree of heterogeneity and the limited number of studies, a future review is warranted to determine the effects of horticultural therapy on depressive symptoms reduction in the elderly. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=272464, identifier: CRD42021272464.

Efficacy of a Horticultural Therapy Program Designed for Emotional Stability and Career Exploration among Adolescents in Juvenile Detention Centers.

We aimed to develop a horticultural therapy program to prepare adolescents at the Dae san juvenile detention center (D-JDC) for their return to society. The effects of the program on emotional stability and career exploration were investigated. Adolescents who wished to participate in the horticultural therapy program were recruited from the D-JDC. Data were collected using various questionnaires before and after the program was implemented. Thirty-five (mean age, 15.74 ± 1.65 years; 11 males, 24 females) students were enrolled. The program mainly consisted of plant cultivation activities, such as seeding, transplanting plants, cutting, harvesting, and post-harvest utilization. To evaluate emotional health, the ego-resiliency scale was used. To evaluate social behavior, the inventory of parent and peer attachment, peer attachment scale, and social skills scale were used. Career exploration was assessed using the career preparation behavior scale and the career decision-making self-efficacy-short form. Peer attachment, social skills, and career preparation behavior showed significant improvements after the program, with the students responding positively in the post-program surveys. Our horticultural therapy program helped improve the career exploration and social skills of D-JDC students and positively affected their emotional stability. Based on our findings, horticultural therapy can be used as a correctional program for adolescents in D-JDC to help them return to society.

Horticulture therapy affected the mental status, sleep quality, and salivary markers of mucosal immunity in an elderly population.

Horticultural therapy (HT) has been reported to be beneficial to mental and physical health. This study investigated the effects of HT on the psychological status and mucosal immunity of elderly individuals. Twenty-four participants aged 70-93 were recruited from residential facilities and adult day-care services. Six different HT activities were designed and guided by licensed instructors who performed saliva collection and helped the participants complete the questionnaires before and after each activity. The sleep quality scores were collected during the 6 weeks of HT activities. Saliva was collected and analyzed to determine the concentrations of immunoglobulin A (IgA), lactoferrin, chromogranin A (CgA), α-amylase (AA) and total protein (TP). Comparisons of the questionnaire scores between preactivity and postactivity showed that feelings of satisfaction and happiness were significantly enhanced after each activity. In addition, sleep quality was significantly improved after the 6-week course of HT activities. Regarding mucosal immunity, the preactivity IgA and IgA/TP were significantly increased at week 3 and week 6; in addition, the ratio of lactoferrin/TP was significantly decreased at week 6 compared to week 1. The postactivity AA and CgA levels were significantly enhanced at weeks 2, 3 and 5 compared to the corresponding preactivity levels. In conclusions, HT activities significantly improved the happiness, satisfaction, well-being and sleep quality of the elderly. Moreover, mucosal immunity proteins, including IgA, lactoferrin, CgA and AA, were significantly increased.

The Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Sense of Coherence among Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities: A Quasi Experimental Design.

Promoting positive mental health is crucial for the elderly living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). This study aims to examine the effectiveness of horticultural therapy on the level of sense of coherence (SOC) among older LTCF residents with relatively normal mental function. With convenient sampling, a total of 86 participants were recruited from 12 LTCFs in northeastern Taiwan. In the experimental group (n = 49), the mean (±standard deviation) score of SOC was 50.45 ± 6.07 at baseline and increased to 56.37 ± 7.20 (p < 0.001) after 12-week horticultural intervention. In contrast, the mean SOC score did not change significantly in the control group (n = 37) during the study period. Generalized estimating equation analysis showed that a significant interaction effect between group and time on the SOC score (p < 0.001). Our findings indicate that horticultural therapy is effective to strengthen the SOC level of older LTCF residents without dementia.

Horticultura terapêutica em um grupo de reabilitação da dependência química no Brasil / Therapeutic Horticulture in a Rehabilitation Group for Chemical Dependency in Brazil / Horticultura terapéutica en un grupo de rehabilitación de la dependencia química en Brasil

A prática da horticultura para benefício terapêutico é utilizada nas abordagens clínicas, que demonstram a melhoria da qualidade de vida e a redução dos índices de estresse biológico, como uma modalidade de Reabilitação Baseada na Comunidade (rbc). Este documento avalia a implementação de um projeto de economia solidária no contexto de um grupo de reabilitação para pessoas com dependência química. Trata-se de um estudo de avaliação qualitativa da implementação de tecnologias sociais (quintais produtivos), baseado no método da inserção ecológica, em um grupo de reabilitação e pre-venção terciária a dependência química de um Centro de Atenção Psicossocial no Brasil. Os participantes foram quinze pessoas, das quais doze eram do sexo masculino e três do sexo feminino, com idades entre 30 e 60 anos. Foi realizada análise documental dos prontuários do serviço, diário de campo, fotografias e filmagens das oficinas, reuniões, visitas domiciliares, visitas técnicas e dos mutirões. Os dados foram analisados seguindo os critérios da Avaliação Multicultural: Dimensionamento Dinâmico Individual e Contextual. Os resultados indi-caram que a implementação dos quintais produtivos fortaleceu os vínculos familiares e institucionais, por meio da rede de apoio construída em torno do projeto. Concluise que os quintais produtivos são eficientes para a geração de renda, segurança alimentar e nutricional e ações de ressocialização como uma estratégia terapêutica complementar de RBC.

Horticulture for therapeutic benefit is used in clinical approaches has, demonstrated improvements in the quality of life and the reduction of biological stress indexes, as a modality of Community-Based Rehabilita-tion (cbr). This paper evaluates the implementation of a solidarity economy project in the context of a rehabili-tation group for people with chemical dependency. This was a qualitative evaluation study of the implementation of social technologies (productive backyards), based on the ecological engagement method in a rehabilitation and tertiary prevention group of chemical dependency of a psychosocial care center in Brazil. The participants were fifteen people, twelve of whom were male and three female, aged between 30 and 60 years. Documental analyses of the records of the service, field diary, and photographs and filming of the workshops, meetings, home visits, technical visits, and community meetings were performed. The data were analyzed following the criteria of the Multicultural Evaluation: Dynamic Individual and Contextual Dimensioning. The results indicated that the implementation of the productive gardens strengthened family and institutional links through the support network built around the project. It is concluded that the productive backyards are efficient for income generation, food and nutritional security, and resocialization actions as a complementary thera-peutic strategy of CBR

La práctica de la horticultura para el beneficio terapéutico se utiliza en enfoques clínicos que demuestran la mejora de la calidad de vida y la reducción de los índices de estrés biológico, como una modalidad de rehabilitación basada en la comunidad (rbc). Este trabajo evalúa la implementación de un proyecto de economía solidaria en el contexto de un grupo de rehabilitación para personas con dependencia química. Se trata de un estudio de evaluación cualitativa de la implementación de tecnologías sociales (patios productivos), basado en el método de inserción ecológica en un grupo de rehabilitación y prevención terciaria de la dependencia química de un centro de atención psicosocial en Brasil. Participaron 15 personas, 12 de las cuales eran hombres y 3 mujeres, con edades comprendidas entre los 30 y los 60 años. Se realizó un análisis documental de los registros del servicio, el diario de campo, las fotografías y la filmación de los talleres, las reuniones, las visitas domiciliarias, las visitas técnicas y las reuniones comunitarias. Los datos se analizaron siguiendo los criterios de la Evaluación multicultural: dimensionamiento dinámico individual y contextual. Los resultados indicaron que la puesta en marcha de los huertos productivos fortaleció los vínculos familiares e institucionales, a través de la red de apoyo construida en torno al proyecto. Se concluye que los patios productivos son eficientes para la generación de ingresos, la seguridad alimentaria y nutricional y acciones de resocialización como estrategia terapéutica complementaria de la RBC

Horticultural therapy for general health in the older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: With a pronounced and historically unprecedented tendency of population ageing, research on ageing and related disorders has been increasingly brought into focus. Horticultural therapy (HT), as an important role of social prescribing, has been an integrative for decades. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate HT for general health in older adults. METHODS: Electronic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang database, grey literature databases and clinical trials registers were searched from inception to March 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs (QRCTs) and the cohort studies about HT for adults aged over 60 were included in this study. Outcome measures were physical function, quality of life, BMI, mood tested by self-reported questionnaire and the expression of the immune cells. The study was registered under PROSPERO (CRD42019146184). RESULTS: Totally, fifteen studies (thirteen RCTs and two cohort studies) involving 1046 older participants were included. Meta-analysis showed that HT resulted in better quality of life (MD 2.09, 95% CI [1.33, 2.85], P<0. 01) and physical function (SMD 0.82, 95% [0.36, 1.29], P<0.01) compared with no-gardener; the similar findings showed in BMI (SMD -0.30, 95% [-0.57, -0.04], P = 0.02) and mood tested by self-reported questionnaire (SMD 2.80, 95% CI [1.82, 3.79], P<0. 01). And HT might be conducive on blood pressure and immunity, while all the evidence were moderate-quality judged by GRADE. CONCLUSIONS: HT may improve physical function and quality of life in older adults, reduce BMI and enhance positive mood. A suitable duration of HT may be between 60 to 120 minutes per week lasting 1.5 to 12 months. However, it remains unclear as to what constitutes an optimal recommendation.