Horticulture as therapeutic media in occupational therapy

Uvod: Človek je s hortikulturo povezan že od samega začetka njegovega obstoja, saj je le-ta del njegovega življenja. Prvotno je našim prednikom služila za hrano in preživetje. Pozneje pa so začeli njene pozitivne učinke uporabljati tudi v terapevtske namene. Prva zabeležena uporaba hortikulture kot terapije se je zgodila v starem Egiptu, ko je bila hoja po vrtovih palače predpisana duševno motenim kraljevim osebam. Eni izmed strokovnjakov, ki hortikulturo vključujejo v obravnavo, so delovni terapevti. Uporabljajo jo kot terapevtski medij z namenom spodbujanja zdravja in dobrega počutja uporabnika. Namen: Namen diplomskega dela je ugotoviti, kaj je v literaturi znanega o hortikulturi kot terapevtskem mediju v delovni terapiji. Metode dela: V diplomskem delu je bila uporabljena deskriptivna metoda s pregledom literature, s področja hortikulture in njene uporabe v terapevtske namene tekom rehabilitacije oseb v različnih bolezenskih stanjih. V pregled so bile vključene naslednje baze: DiKul, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed in Google Scholar iskalnik. Iskanje je potekalo pod naslednjimi ključnimi besedami v angleščini: horticulture, garden, occupational therapy, nature, rehabilitation, media. Pri izboru so bili uporabljeni naslednji vključitveni kriteriji: populacija so uporabniki v delovno terapevtski obravnavi, kjer se kot terapevtski medij uporablja hortikultura in v celoti dostopni članki v angleškem jeziku, brez časovne omejitve. Rezultati: V končno analizo in sintezo je bilo vključenih 10 znanstvenih člankov, od tega osem s kvalitativno in dva s kvantitativno zasnovo. Glede na sintezo podatkov sta podani dve temi za razpravo. Prva tema so pogoji za izvedbo hortikulture oz. vrtnarjenja v delovni terapiji, druga tema pa učinki uporabe hortikulture v delovnoterapevtski obravnavi. Razprava in zaključek: Hortikultura kot terapevtski medij ima zaradi številnih pozitivnih lastnosti pomembno vlogo v delovni terapiji, zato jo je za čim boljšo in hitrejšo rehabilitacijo uporabnika smiselno vključiti v obravnavo. Uporablja se lahko pri uporabnikih različnih starosti, zmogljivosti in v najrazličnejših okoljih. Rezultati pregleda literature so pokazali razvoj fizičnih, čustvenih, kognitivnih, duhovnih in socialnih sposobnosti, a je za ustrezno izvedbo obravnave potrebno določeno znanje delovnega terapevta na področju hortikulture in univerzalno zasnovano okolje.Introduction: Humans have been associated with horticulture since the very beginning of their existence, as it is a part of our lives. Originally, it provided our ancestors with food and survival. Later, they began to use its positive effects for therapeutic purposes. The first recorded use of horticulture as therapy occurred in ancient Egypt, when walking through palace gardens was prescribed for mentally disturbed royalty. One of the professionals who often include horticulture in their treatment are occupational therapists. They use horticulture as a therapeutic medium with the aim of promoting health and well-being. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to find out what is known in the literature about horticulture as a therapeutic medium in occupational therapy. Methods: The thesis uses a descriptive method with a review of the literature in the field of horticulture and its use for therapeutic purposes during the rehabilitation of people with various medical conditions. The following databases were included in the review: DiKUL, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar, searched by the following keywords: horticulture, garden, occupational therapy, nature, rehabilitation, media. The following inclusion criteria were used in the selection: the population is users in occupational therapy treatment, where horticulture is used as a therapeutic medium and fully accessible articles in English, without time limit. Results: Ten scientific articles were included in the final analysis, eight based on qualitative research and two based on quantitative research. Data synthesis provided two topics for discussion. The first topic is the conditions for the implementation of horticulture or gardening in occupational therapy, and the second topic is the effects of using horticulture in occupational therapy treatment. Discussion and conclusion: Horticulture as a therapeutic medium plays an important role in occupational therapy due to its many positive properties. To achieve the best and fastest rehabilitation possible, it makes sense to include it into the treatment. It can be used by people of different ages and abilities, as well as in a wide variety of environments. The results of the literature review show the development of physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual, and social abilities. To ensure proper treatment, both knowledge in the field of horticulture and a universally designed environment are necessary