Horticultural therapy program for middle-aged women's depression, anxiety, and self-identify

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Therapeutic Interventions
• Gerontology

Background:

• Middle-aged women often experience increased depression and anxiety.
• Self-identity can be impacted by life transitions during midlife.
• Existing interventions may not fully address these interconnected issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of horticultural therapy in mitigating depression and anxiety.
• To assess the impact of horticultural therapy on self-identity.
• To explore horticultural therapy as a mental health intervention for middle-aged women.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 36 middle-aged women (aged 40-59).
• The experimental group received 12 sessions of horticultural therapy over 6 weeks.
• Validated scales measured depression, anxiety, and self-identity pre- and post-intervention.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in depression and anxiety scores in the horticultural therapy group (p < 0.001).
• Significant improvements in self-identity scores in the experimental group (p = 0.003).
• The control group exhibited no significant changes in the measured variables.

Conclusions:

• Horticultural therapy is an effective intervention for reducing depression and anxiety in middle-aged women.
• The program demonstrated a positive effect on enhancing self-identity.
• This study supports horticultural therapy as a viable approach for improving mental health outcomes in midlife women.