Open AccessParticipation in Community Gardening: Sowing the Seeds of Well-Being: Participation au jardinage communautaire : pour semer les graines du bien-être
Author(s) -
Melinda Suto,
Shelagh A. Smith,
Natasha Damiano,
Shurli Channe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
canadian journal of occupational therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.454
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1911-9828
pISSN - 0008-4174
DOI - 10.1177/0008417421994385
Subject(s) - feeling , social connectedness , mental health , sense of community , citizen journalism , participatory action research , community participation , sociology , well being , public relations , nursing , psychology , pedagogy , political science , medicine , social psychology , socioeconomics , social science , psychotherapist , anthropology , law
Background. Sustaining well-being challenges people with serious mental health issues. Community gardening is an occupation used to promote clients’ well-being, yet there is limited evidence to support this intervention.Purpose. This paper examines how facilitated community gardening programs changed the subjective well-being and social connectedness of people living with mental health issues.Method. A community-based participatory research approach and qualitative methods were used with 23 adults living in supported housing and participating in supported community gardening programs. A constructivist approach guided inductive data analysis.Findings. Participation in community gardening programs enhanced well-being through welcoming places, a sense of belonging, and developing positive feelings through doing. The connection to living things and responsibility for plants grounded participants in the present and offered a unique venue for learning about gardening and themselves.Implications. Practitioners and service-users should collaborate to develop leadership, programs, places, and processes within community gardens to enhance well-being.