Horticultural Therapy and Mental Health Recovery Post Covid Outbreak

Several studies and reviews are focused on the general benefits of horticultural therapy (HT) for general healthcare facilities to improve the health, wellness, and mental health of different age groups. People’s interactions with plants, through individualized goal-orientated horticultural activities in the form of active gardening, as well as the passive appreciation of nature, could be therapeutic to people with mental disorders reducing stress, reducing negative symptoms in schizophrenia, stabilizing mood, reducing anxiety, fatigue and restore attention and cognitive ability. HT increases self-efficacy, self-esteem, and quality of life; furthermore, horticultural therapy, often carried out in a group setting, could develop group cohesiveness and a sense of belonging; it could motivate and help people to engage in meaningful activities and develop a sense of accomplishment and productivity. Last, people with disabilities could develop sustainable vocational skills and productivity in horticulture. The implications of its use during the ongoing Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, social isolation, and consequent psychosocial aftermath are also discussed. Finally, as the last topic of this paper the needs to be trained therapists in HT and not improvised staff on personal aptitude