The therapeutic values of contact with nature have been increasingly recognized. A growing body of evidence suggests that a unique subcategory of "contemplative landscapes" is particularly ...therapeutic. Previous studies predominantly focused on observational designs in non-clinical populations. It is not known if these effects can be extrapolated to populations suffering from depression, and experimental designs need to be utilized to establish causality. We examined the effects of
passive exposure to three urban spaces on brain activity, namely a Therapeutic Garden with high Contemplative Landscape scores (TG), Residential Green (RG) and Busy Downtown (BD), and self-reported momentary mood in adults aged 21-74 (
= 92), including 24 clinically depressed and 68 healthy participants. Portable, multimodal electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) systems were used to record brain activity, and a Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire was used to record mood before and after exposure. We tested the interactions between the site, time and group for the mood, and between site and group for the neuroelectric oscillations and brain hemodynamics. Self-reported pre- post-mood was significant only at the TG (
= 0.032) in both groups. The lowest Total Mood Disturbance (TMD) was reported at TG and the highest in BD (
= 0.026). Results from fNIRS indicated marginally significant lower oxy-Hb in the frontal region at TG as compared to BD (
= 0.054) across both groups. The marginally significant effect of site and group was also observed (
= 0.062), with the Clinical group showing much lower oxy-Hb at TG than Healthy. The opposite pattern was observed at BD. EEG results showed differences between Healthy and Clinical groups in the Frontal Alpha Asymmetry (FAA) pattern across the sites (
= 0.04), with more frontal alpha right in the Clinical sample and more left lateralization in the Healthy sample at TG. Temporal Beta Asymmetry (TBA) analyses suggested that patients displayed lower bottom-up attention than Healthy participants across all sites (
= 0.039). The results suggest that both healthy and depressed adults benefitted from exposure to TG, with possibly different pathways of mood improvement. Visiting therapeutic nature with contemplative features may provide valuable support for the treatment of depression in clinical populations and a self-care intervention in non-clinical populations.
Exposure to nature is known to support psychological wellbeing, and can support People with Dementia (PwD). Here we describe a case study conducted at a care facility for PwD to examine the effect of ...their exposure to nature after intervention to renovate an existing Therapeutic Garden (TG). Changes in frequency of attendance and behavior in the TG were examined. A single case was also considered to assess individual benefits.
Twenty-one PwD participated in the study. Their behavior in the TG was observed for 4 weeks before and after the intervention (using behavioral mapping), and measures of individual characteristics (general cognitive functioning, behavioral/neuropsychiatric symptoms, depression, and quality of life) were administered.
Ten of the 21 PwD visited the TG more often after the intervention, their social behaviors (e.g., talking to others) increased, and their active isolated behavior in the garden (e.g., smelling, touching flowers) tended to increase. The increase in social behavior related to less severe baseline depressive symptoms. Passive isolated behaviors related to more impaired baseline cognitive functioning. The case of Mrs. A extended the findings for the whole sample: although her dementia symptoms (apathy, motor disturbances) worsened, she visited the TG more often after the intervention, her social exchanges and active isolated actions increased, and her agitation and wandering decreased.
These results support the benefits of exposure to nature for PwD, and underscore the importance of considering users' profiles to optimize their use of a TG.
The first half of this paper documents the role of nature in healthcare environments and its impact on wellness, with a particular focus on gardens. The second half presents a scientific evaluation ...of the role of gardens as a therapeutic intervention to optimise the clinical outcomes in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia, including a review of the innovative application of technologies alongside nature to promote cognitive rehabilitation in this particular patient population.
Using search engines such as the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science, PubMed, ProQuest Central, MEDLINE, Scopus and Google Scholar, a relevant literature search on the positive health implications of therapeutic gardens (TG) on AD and dementia patients in the healthcare milieu was conducted.
The health implications of TG for AD and dementia patients span physical, social, psychological and cognitive effects. Virtual reality (VR) technologies that display natural environments also offer positive cognitive outcomes for AD and dementia patients.
TG should be used to improve the health and wellbeing of AD and dementia patients, and its application should be extended to other patient populations to promote quicker recovery. Future directions in the design of TG, with a focus on patients with AD and other dementias, is also discussed.
Background and objective: Recently, mental health problems of university students have emerged due to low employment rates and increased unemployment. Therefore, this study attempted to examine the ...effect of the characteristics of and satisfaction with university campus gardens on mental well-being and to suggest ways to create and utilize campus gardens as a means of promoting mental health for university students.Methods: A survey was conducted on university students and graduate students attending G University located in J City, Gyeongsangnam-do. The survey was conducted from July 1 to December 10, 2019. The survey results of 516 subjects were ultimately used, and the survey items consisted of general characteristics, satisfaction with garden use, garden use characteristics, and mental well-being. The survey results were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.Results: In the case of garden use characteristics, 'simple travel path' was the most common purpose of use, and the highest frequency of use was 1-2 times a week. The factor that had the strongest positive correlation with overall satisfaction was satisfaction with using the garden as a leisure and recreation space, and the frequency of use also had a positive correlation. As a result of examining the effect of satisfaction and frequency of use on mental well-being, it was found that symbolism, visual beauty, and frequency of garden use had a positive effect.Conclusion: In order for university students to use campus gardens as a tool to improve their mental well-being and as a place for leisure and recreation, efforts must be made to adequately arrange the characteristics of the region where each university campus is located and the symbolic elements of each university, to enhance the scenic beauty so that students can experience visual beauty, and to fulfill visual satisfaction by arranging plants or facilities with distinct characteristics for each season.
Horticulture therapy employs plants and gardening activities in therapeutic and rehabilitation activities and could be utilized to improve the quality of life of the worldwide aging population, ...possibly reducing costs for long-term, assisted living and dementia unit residents. Preliminary studies have reported the benefits of horticultural therapy and garden settings in reduction of pain, improvement in attention, lessening of stress, modulation of agitation, lowering of as needed medications, antipsychotics and reduction of falls. This is especially relevant for both the United States and the Republic of Korea since aging is occurring at an unprecedented rate, with Korea experiencing some of the world's greatest increases in elderly populations. In support of the role of nature as a therapeutic modality in geriatrics, most of the existing studies of garden settings have utilized views of nature or indoor plants with sparse studies employing therapeutic gardens and rehabilitation greenhouses. With few controlled clinical trials demonstrating the positive or negative effects of the use of garden settings for the rehabilitation of the aging populations, a more vigorous quantitative analysis of the benefits is long overdue. This literature review presents the data supporting future studies of the effects of natural settings for the long term care and rehabilitation of the elderly having the medical and mental health problems frequently occurring with aging.
This paper is a systematic review of quantitative studies conducted on the benefits of visiting gardens and gardening therapy for people with dementia (PWD) in an effort to assess the effectiveness ...of such treatments and obtain information on the most appropriate garden design for this population. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. Four databases were searched (PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus), with no time limits. Out of a total of 480 articles considered, 16 studies were selected for review. In all but two of the studies examined, gardening therapy and the use of therapeutic gardens induced psychophysiological improvements in PWD. The areas showing the greatest effects were Engagement, Agitation, Depression/Mood, Stress, and Medication. It also emerged that interest in this sphere has been growing in the last decade, but there is still a shortage of empirical evidence of the beneficial effects of therapeutic gardens in relation to the type and severity of dementia, and of garden design guidelines. Despite the limited number of studies investigated, the review confirmed the benefits of gardening and therapeutic gardens in PWD. There is nonetheless a need to conduct more quantitative research to support currently-available evidence and generate more information, focusing on garden design criteria, in-garden activities, the type and severity of dementia examined, and effects on caregivers as well as on PWD.
This article discusses the concept of therapeutic garden— its definition and importance, — in the context of the specific architecture of sanatoria for the treatment of tuberculosis, in particular ...the case of Lisbon’s sanatoria from 1870 to 1970.
It contemplates both national and international networks of circulation and transfer of knowledge before and after the medical and architectural revolutions at the turn of the twentieth century. These revolutions were accompanied by significant changes in the city’s structure concerning the control of epidemics and social diseases. Architects and physicians, among other experts, are the main characters to be scrutinized, alongside with their architectural and scientific production and their entanglements. At the same time, I seriously take into consideration their interactions with the spheres of power, specifically in what relates to management and decision making.
Several forms of virtual reality (VR) have shown promise in treating mental disorders. However, there is a lack of research investigating the use of multicomponent immersive VR. Therefore, this study ...aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) intervention that incorporated Japanese garden aesthetics, relaxation, and elements of Erickson’s psychotherapy in alleviating depression and anxiety symptoms among elderly women. Sixty women with depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. Both groups received eight (twice a week for four weeks) low-intensity general fitness training sessions. The IVR group (
n
= 30) received eight additional VR-based relaxation sessions, whereas the control group (
n
= 30) received eight group relaxation. As outcome measures, the geriatric depression scale (GDS; primary) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; secondary) were administered before and after the interventions. The protocol was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov PRS database (Registration number: NCT05285501). Patients receiving IVR therapy exhibited a greater significant reduction in the GDS (adjusted mean post-difference of 4.10; 95% CI = 2.27–5.93) and HADS (2.95; 95% CI = 0.98–4.92) scores than those receiving the control intervention. In conclusion, IVR with elements of psychotherapy, relaxation, and garden aesthetics may alleviate the severity of depression and anxiety symptoms in elderly women.
•It seemed more difficult to positively affect male participants’ emotions compared to female participants.•The use of deciduous trees is proposed in the design of healings gardens for patients with ...psychotic disorders.•The use of deciduous trees is proposed in the design of healing gardens to create seasonal colour change.•Seasonal colour change in a tree canopy created positive and intense emotions.•Further research is necessary to obtain more detailed design recommendations for landscape architects.
The beneficial effect of nature on patients with mental disorders is of particular importance. There has been an increase in mental illnesses in recent years, but research on the design of healing gardens for mental and behavioural disorders remains limited. This paper is part of a wider study that aims to investigate the effect of selected design elements of healing gardens on patients with mental disorders. This study examines the effect of seasonal colour change in plantings in the design of healing gardens on patients suffering from psychotic disorders by using a questionnaire survey and by recording and analysing human behaviour. Images depicting seasonal colour change in different plantings were viewed on a computer monitor by patients. Patients’ behaviour was studied using biosensors for eye-tracking, facial expression analysis and galvanic skin response. The results showed that differences in gender and age between participants did not affect their preferences. However, it appeared to be more difficult to positively affect the emotions of male participants compared to female participants. Seasonal colour change in a tree canopy created positive and intense emotions in the patients. Based on the results, the use of deciduous trees is proposed in the design of healing gardens for patients with psychotic disorders to create seasonal colour change. Further research is necessary to obtain more detailed design recommendations for landscape architects.
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