Effect of horticultural therapy on the changes of self-esteem and sociality of individuals with chronic schizophrenia.

摘要

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of HT activities on the self-esteem and sociality of individuals with chronic schizophrenia in a social welfare centre. For this study, 50 patients from Korea Republic with comparable levels of symptoms were selected as participants by the hospital psychiatrist. These individuals were divided into two groups in which 25 patients participated in the HT programme as the activity group, while the other 25 patients were a control group without any structured activities. The activity group attended a one-hour HT programme twice a week for 5 months. For evaluation, various scales associated with self-esteem, relationship change, sociality, and a symptom checklist-90 revision (SCL-90R) were applied. A checklist for HT activities was also used to evaluate the horticultural performance of participants. Measurements were conducted at 3 time periods: before intervention, at the mid-point, and immediately after the 5-month HT programmes. According to the results, self-esteem and relationship change were not altered meaningfully in the control group whereas those characteristics were improved significantly in the activity group. On the social behaviour scale, the degree of non-verbal and substance of conversation were significantly improved in the activity group. According to the SCL-90R test, the degree of interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and anxiety took a significant favourable turn in the activity group. Finally, the participation, self-concept, and identity of patients among the items of HT activities' evaluation were significantly improved after HT programmes. Therefore, it could be concluded that HT programmes were very effective as one of the alternative treatments to improve the psychological, emotional, and social problems of chronic schizophrenia patients.