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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04917666

Process and Outcomes of Horticultural Therapy for People With Disabilities

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Mental Disorders, Severe Intellectual Disability Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Chuk Hang Complex

Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong

About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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.

Treatment and study plan

Horticultural therapy

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

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Mental Well-being

    Time frame: Pre-test, Postest (8 weeks from pre-test), Change from Pretest to Posttest is assessed

    Chinese Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (C-SWEMWBS). The C-SWEMWBS uses a five-point Likert scale. The average scores for the scale ranges between 1 and 5, and a higher score indicates better mental well-being.

  2. Change in Engagement in Meaningful Activity Scale (EMAS)

    Time frame: Pre-test, Postest (8 weeks from pre-test), Change from Pretest to Posttest is assessed

    Engagement in Meaningful Activity Scale (EMAS). The EMAS has 12 items measured on a four-point Likert scale. The average score for the scale is 1- 4 and a higher score indicates higher engagement.

  3. Change in Perceived Benefits of Horticultural Therapy

    Time frame: Pre-test, Postest (8 weeks from pre-test), Change from Pretest to Posttest is assessed

    This is a opinion survey developed by the clinical setting to collect participants' attitude toward horticultural therapy. It has 7 items and participants are asked to respond using a five-point scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". The average score ranges from 1 to 5, and a higher score indicates that the participant perceived the benefits of horticulture therapy as higher.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Examining the Process and Outcomes of Horticultural Therapy for People With Severe Mental Illness, Intellectual, and Multiple Disabilities

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2020
Study completion
2021
First posted
Jun 8, 2021
Registry last updated
Jun 8, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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