Prescribing gardening
There are around 900 gardening projects scattered across the UK, and many people are referred to them by their social workers, or urged by their GP to volunteer. There's huge anecdotal evidence that gardening helps people to find purpose and improve health as they deal with a disabling condition. But could gardening ever be as routinely used by doctors as painkillers or prozac?
42% of GPs would try exercise as one of their top three strategies if they became depressed, despite only 5% prescribing it to their patients as one of their top three responses.
The charity Thrive carries out research into how and why gardening helps people with disabilities.
Disability can be anything from depression or learning difficulties to physical impairments as a result of strokes, cardio-vascular disease, diabetes, car accidents or just the ageing process. They don't argue for gardening as a single magic bullet, but say that they've seen it make changes to people who have otherwise got completely stuck. They work closely with Dr Joe Sempik of Loughborough University who explores the academic ‘proof’ for therapeutic gardening.
Thrive run two gardening projects themselves - one in Reading and another at Battersea Park in London where volunteers and clients are working on three areas within the grounds as well as selling plants.
Part of the effect of gardening is undoubtedly social. For some, a gardening project may be their only contact with other people. Gardening can also give a sense of achievement to people with disabilities. Sue Stuart, who runs the Battersea Garden Programme says "One of the first things we often start with is getting people to grow a bucket of potatoes. It's simple to do and gives people an instant sense of having achieved something."
Gardening can also be useful for people whose illness has been supported to a certain point, but who are then completely abandoned when partly better. Some may get isolated and ill again before their help is reinstated - leaving them in a vicious circle where they never quite reach the point of establishing their own lives. Pathways at Chelsea Physic Garden is one project that helps people out of this difficulty - giving them the skills to become independent volunteers. 80% go on to do that.
One of the first things we often start with is getting people to grow a bucket of potatoes. It's simple to do and gives people an instant sense of having achieved something.
Collecting evidence
Dr Sempik’s research began as interviews with people who had done horticultural therapy. But now he’s convinced that a randomised trial is possible. ‘We aren’t looking at domestic gardening, but as gardening as an organised activity. There are about 900 projects in the UK and we can identify specific dimensions across garden projects. We would aim to provide quite rigorous evidence for effectiveness.’
GPs and nature
‘To some extent doctors are already prescribing nature – many are aware of green exercise, but not all are so familiar with garden projects. What we need is some awareness raising about the possibilities. There are many conditions that doctors can’t do a lot with, where social and therapeutic horticulture may be an answer.’
He points to a mental health foundation report Up and Running http://www.mhf.org.uk/publications/?EntryId5=43026 which reveals that the way GPs would treat their own depression differs markedly from the care that they choose for their patients – ‘42% of GPs would try exercise as one of their top three strategies if they became depressed, despite only 5% prescribing it to their patients as one of their top three responses.’
Professionalising gardening
Sempik adds that the work has become highly professionalised. ‘Most projects are highly organised and run by people with great skills. They offer structure to their clients, but in an unforceful way. People experience it as like work, but without the pressure. This can be enormously helpful for people who are ill but want a way to structure their time.’
Further reading
Thrive’s website http://www.thrive.org.uk/
Research at Loughborough University
Mental Health Foundation – Up and Running
Exercise and depression - a guide for GPs