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Experiences of meaning in garden therapy in outpatient psychiatric care in Sweden. A narrative study

Wästberg, Birgitta A. LU ; Harris, Ulrika and Gunnarsson, A. Birgitta (2021) In Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 28(6). p.415-425
Abstract

Background: Support has been found for using garden therapy as form of intervention for clients with common mental disorders, but no consensus has been found for what contributes to perceived meaningfulness of garden therapy. Aims: To investigate whether participants perceived garden therapy as meaningful, and if so, what contributed to the meaningfulness. Material and methods: Narrative individual interviews were conducted twice with six participants who participated in garden therapy and once with two participants. Data was analysed using narrative methodology. Results: Perceived meanings in garden therapy were associated to the participants’ individual needs and prerequisites: to land, just be, relax, go back to basics, understand,... (More)

Background: Support has been found for using garden therapy as form of intervention for clients with common mental disorders, but no consensus has been found for what contributes to perceived meaningfulness of garden therapy. Aims: To investigate whether participants perceived garden therapy as meaningful, and if so, what contributed to the meaningfulness. Material and methods: Narrative individual interviews were conducted twice with six participants who participated in garden therapy and once with two participants. Data was analysed using narrative methodology. Results: Perceived meanings in garden therapy were associated to the participants’ individual needs and prerequisites: to land, just be, relax, go back to basics, understand, verbalise, enhance energy, and socialise. The group leaders had an important role to create safety and trust, and to adapt the activities and use of the environment. The activities, the garden environment and social group contributed to perceived meaning in garden therapy. Conclusions: Garden therapy offered the participants possibilities to meet their different needs and thereby perceived meaning. To achieve this, the group leaders need to adapt the gardening individually to each participant. Significance: Various components were perceived as meaningful. The group leaders therefore have to adapt the garden therapy to each participant’s needs.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Common mental disorders, gardening, interviews, nature-based, occupational group, qualitative research, recovery
in
Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy
volume
28
issue
6
pages
415 - 425
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • pmid:32027526
  • scopus:85079448577
ISSN
1103-8128
DOI
10.1080/11038128.2020.1723684
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b0b548c0-017b-46d9-8579-8d24818c1d8a
date added to LUP
2020-02-28 11:12:19
date last changed
2024-06-12 09:42:21
@article{b0b548c0-017b-46d9-8579-8d24818c1d8a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Support has been found for using garden therapy as form of intervention for clients with common mental disorders, but no consensus has been found for what contributes to perceived meaningfulness of garden therapy. Aims: To investigate whether participants perceived garden therapy as meaningful, and if so, what contributed to the meaningfulness. Material and methods: Narrative individual interviews were conducted twice with six participants who participated in garden therapy and once with two participants. Data was analysed using narrative methodology. Results: Perceived meanings in garden therapy were associated to the participants’ individual needs and prerequisites: to land, just be, relax, go back to basics, understand, verbalise, enhance energy, and socialise. The group leaders had an important role to create safety and trust, and to adapt the activities and use of the environment. The activities, the garden environment and social group contributed to perceived meaning in garden therapy. Conclusions: Garden therapy offered the participants possibilities to meet their different needs and thereby perceived meaning. To achieve this, the group leaders need to adapt the gardening individually to each participant. Significance: Various components were perceived as meaningful. The group leaders therefore have to adapt the garden therapy to each participant’s needs.</p>}},
  author       = {{Wästberg, Birgitta A. and Harris, Ulrika and Gunnarsson, A. Birgitta}},
  issn         = {{1103-8128}},
  keywords     = {{Common mental disorders; gardening; interviews; nature-based; occupational group; qualitative research; recovery}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{415--425}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy}},
  title        = {{Experiences of meaning in garden therapy in outpatient psychiatric care in Sweden. A narrative study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2020.1723684}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/11038128.2020.1723684}},
  volume       = {{28}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}