Effects of Horticultural Therapy on Psychosocial Health in Older Nursing Home Residents: A Preliminary Study

• Published in: The Journal of Nursing Research Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 167 - 171
• Main Authors: 陳玉敏(Yuh-Min Chen), 紀政儀(Jeng-Yi Ji)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 台灣 台灣護理學會 01.09.2015; 臺灣護理學會; Copyright by the Taiwan Nurses Association
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Horticultural Therapy; horticulture therapy; Humans; Inpatients - psychology; Male; MEDLINE; Mental Health; Middle Aged; nursing home; Nursing Homes; older adults; psychosocial health; SCIE; Scopus; SSCI; TSCI; TSSCI; 園藝治療; 心理社會健康; 老人; 護理之家; 心理社會健康; 老人; older adults; 護理之家; nursing home; horticulture therapy; 園藝治療; psychosocial health
• ISSN: 1682-3141; 1948-965X; 1948-965X
• DOI: 10.1097/jnr.0000000000000063

This preliminary study examined the effect of horticultural therapy on psychosocial health in older nursing home residents. A combined quantitative and qualitative design was adopted. Convenience sampling was used to recruit 10 older residents from a nursing home in Taichung, Taiwan. Participants joined a 10-week indoor horticultural program once a week, with each session lasting for about 1.5 hours. A single-group designwithmultiplemeasurements was adopted for the quantitative component of this study. Interviews held 1Y2 days before the intervention (T0) were used to collect baseline data. The two outcome variables of this study, depression and loneliness, were reassessed during the 5th (T1) and 10th (T2) weeks of the intervention. Generalized estimating equations were used to test the mean differences among T0, T1, and T2measures. After the 10-week program, qualitative data were collected by asking participants to share their programparticipation experiences. The results of generalized estimating equation showed significant improvements in depression and loneliness. Four categories emerged from the qualitative data content analysis: social connection, anticipation and hope, sense of achievement, and companionship. Given the beneficial effects of the horticulture therapy, the inclusion of horticultural activities in nursing home activity programs is recommended.
本研究目的旨在探討園藝治療對護理之家老人心理社會健康之成效，採量性和質性合併之研究 法。於台中市某護理之家方便取樣10 位老年住民每週一次的園藝治療，每次活動時間約1.5 小時， 為期十週。量性研究部份採單組多次測量，於第一週活動進行前1-2天（T0）、第五週活動結束（T1） 及第十週活動結束後（T2），採面對面訪談方式收集資料。心理社會健康成效的測量變項為憂鬱和 孤寂感，並以GEE檢測三次測量間平均值的差異。GEE的分析結果顯示，園藝治療顯著改善老人 的憂鬱和孤寂感。質性資料內容分析結果，將老人參與園藝治療的經驗歸納為四個類別：社會連 結、期待與希望、成就感、陪伴。基於園藝治療對老人的效益，護理之家可考量將園藝治療納入 機構的活動設計中