Process and Outcomes of Horticultural Therapy for People With Disabilities

NCT ID: NCT04917666

Last Updated: 2021-06-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2019-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2021-01-29

Brief Summary

Horticultural therapy (HT) "is the engagement of a client in horticulture activities facilitated by a trained therapist to achieve specific and documented treatment goals" (American Horticultural Therapy Association, 2012). People's interactions with plants, through goal-orientated horticultural activities in the form of active gardening, as well as the passive appreciation of nature, could be therapeutic to people with mental or intellectual disabilities in many ways (Eling, 2006; Parkinson, Lowe, & Vecsey, 2011). This study aims to conduct evaluation studies of HT group programmes for care home residents with severe mental illness.

Detailed Description

This is a randomized, single-blind, controlled study in which the outcomes of the horticultural therapy program is compared with a comparison group. Outcome measures were compared at Pre-intervention and post-intervention.

Conditions

Mental Disorders, Severe; Intellectual Disability

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Treatment

Participants joined a 8-session horticultural therapy group program (60 minutes per session) over 8 weeks.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Horticultural therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A structured 8-session group therapy program, in which participants learn about plants, green spaces, plant-human interactions. During the program, the participants are guided by therapist to grow or take care of both indoor and outdoor plants, do small horticulture projects (like cooking, making drinks, herb projects).

Comparison

Participants joined 4 sessions of individual, parallel, and table-top activities of their own interest, e.g. reading, drawing, coloring.

Group Type: OTHER

Comparison

Intervention Type: OTHER

4 session of semi-structured and free engagement in activities of their choice. The activities that they could choose are mostly table-top activities which are solitary in nature, and does not require social interaction.

Interventions

Horticultural therapy

A structured 8-session group therapy program, in which participants learn about plants, green spaces, plant-human interactions. During the program, the participants are guided by therapist to grow or take care of both indoor and outdoor plants, do small horticulture projects (like cooking, making drinks, herb projects).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Comparison

4 session of semi-structured and free engagement in activities of their choice. The activities that they could choose are mostly table-top activities which are solitary in nature, and does not require social interaction.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• diagnosis of severe mental disorder, e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder.
• age 18 - 65.
• care home resident

Exclusion Criteria

• organic brain disorder
• difficulties in communication for joining horticultural activity.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Andrew MH Siu, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Chuk Hang Complex

Wong Chuk Hang, , Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

HSEARS20191030004

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id