The Effects of Horticultural Activity in a Community Garden on Mood Changes
Norio Hayashi, Teruo Wada, Hiroaki Hirai, Takaaki Miyake, Yoshimasa Matsuura, Norinaga Shimizu, Hiroshi Kurooka, Shousaku Horiuchi
Environment Control in Biology
Urban Farm DB summary
A Japanese study examining the psychological effects of horticultural activity on mood state (POMS) among 61 subjects (22 men, 39 women, mean age 46). Active participation involved planting non-flowering pansies, while passive participation involved observing a community garden; one group engaged in 2 hours of active participation, while two other groups completed 6 hours of horticultural activity (with the 6-hour group in experiment 3 also completing a mid-point POMS assessment 2 hours in, alongside before/after measures). The overall POMS score for 2 hours of horticultural activity was significantly higher than for 2 hours of simply observing, and the greatest psychological effects were found among the group that engaged in 2 hours of active horticultural activity, suggesting that 2 hours of horticultural activity induces the best psychological effects among the conditions tested.