Asian Pacific Journal of Nursing

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE GARDENING THERAPY ON DEPRESSION AMONG OLD AGE

Jaishri

jaishree.bagg@gmail.com

EFFECTIVENESS

Gardening is a remedial process in which plants and gardening activities are used to improve the body, mind, and spirits of old age people. Whenever individual involved in gardening activity that gives pleasure, reduces stress and restore s the physical and emotional balance. A quasi -experimental study to assess the effectiveness of gardening on depression among old age in selected old age homes at Bangalore. To assess the pre-test scores of depression among old age in selected old age homes. To assess the effectiveness of gardening by comparing pre test and post test scores in experimental group. To assess the effectiveness of gardening by comparing post test scores of experimental and control groups. To determine association between the pre-test level of depression and selected socio demographic variables. A quasi-experimental study, non equivalent control group pre test and post test design was selected for conducting the study with non -probability convenience sampling technique. Samples of 40 old age people above 60 years were selected from poor little sister old age home Bangalore. Modified geriatric depression scale was used to collect the data. The duration of the study was one month.The result of the study revealed that, majority of the participants fall in the category of Moderate depression. Out of the total 40 samples, in pre test 85% of the experimental group and 90% of control group were belongs to moderate level of depression. 15% of experimental group and 10% of control group subjects had severe level of depression. Post -test had normal depression 5% in experimental group. 90% of experimental group and 90% of control group subjects had moderate depression. 5% of experimental group and 10% of control group subjects had severe level of depression. The mean of the pre-test of experimental and control group subjects is 13.6 and 14.7 respect ively. Post-test mean of the experimental group and control group subjects is 11.6 and 14.7 respectively. The calculated paired “t” value of experimental group is 8.89 which found to be statistically significant when compared to table value(df(19)= 2.861 at p ≤ 0.01, level of significance. There is significant difference between the post-test scores of experimental group and control group with student ‘t’ value 3.13 which was significant at P < 0.01 level. The study indicated that plants can be a source of a joy and tranquillity for some residents in institutional settings. It was suggested that particularly in the case of the depressed elderly a garden environment provides aesthetic pleasure and may arouse positive affects. The result that seeing the plants may enhance the mood of the elderly and that green environment can be used in emotion regulation, emphasizes the importance of visual access to a green environment which should be made available to the residents in institutional living.