Effect of the Horticultural Therapy Activities on Patients with Chronic Mental Illness in Psychiatric Center
| Autor: | Szu-Han Wu, 吳思涵 |
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| Rok vydání: | 2005 |
| Druh dokumentu: | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Popis: | 93 This study was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effects of horticultural therapy（HT）activities and the influence of horticultural experiences and the duration of activities on patients with chronic mental illness in a public psychiatric center. The study was conducted twice each covering a period of three months at Bali, Taipei. The patient’s change in both physical and psychological are observed along with questionnaire and measurable tests. In the first study, 18 participants were divided into two groups as the activity group (n=9) and control group (n=9). In the second study, 29 participants were divided into two groups as the activity group (n=15) and control group (n=14). Demographic data for both groups showed no significant different and most diagnoses of the participants were schizophrenia. The activity group attended a 1.5 hr horticultural program once a week in first study and twice a week program in second study. The control group participated in the otherwise scheduled routine activities at the center. The types of the horticultural activities included knowing plants, planting and propagation, harvest and products use, and craft work. For evaluation, four instruments, including attention test, hand dexterity, horticultural knowledge test and preference and satisfaction questionnaire were used as self-evaluation to both activity and control groups right before and at the end of HT programs. The activity group was also evaluated by a comprehensive occupational therapy examination and a rating scale for measuring the effects of horticultural therapy, conducted by the occupational therapists in charge for the former test both before and after the activity. The latter test was carried out by the nursing staffs and occupational therapists in charge before the activity and by activity leader and assistant at the end of programs. The activity group showed improvement in work skills and physical strength but not in hand dexterity during the period of the program. On the other hand, significant improvement was obtained in patients’ affect, mood, interest, the sense of responsibility, attention and memory in cognitive function during the same period In attention test, the average scores of horticultural group increased from 45.78 before to 52.89 after the activity, and the corresponding values of control group decreased from 53.11 to 47.66. In social interaction, the patients’ community, organizational skills, communication skills and verbal expressiveness showed significant improvement for the activity group. In community skills, the average scores of horticultural group increased from 3.34 to 3.77 after the activity. Moreover, patients with no previous gardening experience showed much progress in their horticultural knowledge and work behaviors which patients with previous gardening experience performed better in group adaptation, coping with the pressures and order. The program duration did not affect the participants’ learning of horticultural knowledge. However, the longer the program extends, the more obvious benefits in community skills, basic work skills, dealing with authority and organizational skills would be observed. Furthermore, the positive impacts of horticultural program monitored through observation on site and with the nursing staffs and occupational therapists were confirmed. Therefore, it could be concluded that patients with chronic mental illness in a psychiatric center can benefit and positively influence their own health state from gardening program by contact with nature, working with soil, caring plants, watching their growth and harvest them for use. |
| Databáze: | Networked Digital Library of Theses & Dissertations |
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