Could Getting Your Hands Dirty Make You Happier?: A Mixed Method Approach to Examine Reasons for Changes in Depression in a Gardening Intervention

OBJECTIVES: Despite increasing evidence that gardening is an effective mental health intervention, the nuances of its psychological effects are not well understood. Using a mixed methods design, this study examines the potential mechanisms through which gardening may impact depression. METHODS: A pilot study involved community participants near Hershey, PA (N = 30), who participated in an online, group, Zoom-based 20-week gardening intervention program. Synchronous sessions provided education in the areas of gardening, nutrition, and cooking skills. Participants’ depression levels were quantified using Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) surveys at the baseline and follow up. The quantitative data were analyzed with paired t-tests. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the end of the intervention. Data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and a codebook was established. Data were managed in NVivo and organized into the three themes presented in this report. RESULTS: Twenty-nine participants completed PROMIS at both timepoints. The cohort had a mean age of 49.9 years, majority white (83.3%) and living in a house (86.7%). Compared to baseline, at follow up, there was a statistically significant improvement in the PROMIS depression score (50.5 v. 47.4, p = 0.02). In interviews, participants reported that learning to garden improved their happiness (“[gardening] just makes me so happy”), sense of accomplishment (“I did harvest three cucumbers, which was the first time ever in my life”), and self-worth (“everybody's like wow, where'd you get that tomato? […] that was like an excellent feeling, because I grew that tomato”). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights three potential mechanisms through which gardening may improve mental health outcomes: feelings of happiness, sense of accomplishment, and self-worth. Since unhappiness, sense of failure and worthlessness are key metrics of the PROMIS depression scale, future studies should consider the potential of gardening as a public health intervention to improve mental health outcomes. FUNDING SOURCES: This study was funded by the Penn State Department of Family and Community Medicine pilot study grant program (PI: SV).