Horticultural therapy program for improving emotional well-being of elementary school students: an observational study

BACKGROUND: Children in modern society are exposed to high levels of stress. Various previous studies have reported that horticultural activities help children’s emotional stability. The objective of this study is to develop and implement a horticultural therapy program to improve the emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-efficacy of elementary school students. METHODS: A total of 582 Korean students (11–13 years old) from 28 schools participated in this study. The horticultural therapy program consisted of seven sessions and was conducted once a week for 60 min per session, during regular or after-school classes. Before and after the horticultural therapy program, emotional intelligence, resilience, and self-efficacy of the elementary school students were assessed using questionnaires. At the end of the program, students evaluated their satisfaction with the program. RESULTS: The horticultural therapy program significantly improved emotional intelligence (p = 0.000), resilience (p = 0.001), and self-efficacy (p = 0.003) of the elementary students participating in this study. After the program, emotional intelligence improved both male and female students. In resilience and self-efficacy, male students improved after the program, but female students did not. CONCLUSIONS: This study may show a potential of horticultural therapy for psycho-emotional health of children.