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Abstract

Purpose

Horticultural therapy (HT) has proliferated in recent years as a nonpharmeceutical therapy to improve participants’ well-being. This study systematically reviews the effectiveness of HT on the holistic well-being of Chinese students.

Methods

Guided by the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) theory, the review included intervention studies conducted in China that measured at least one domain of students’ physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Studies were identified from English and Chinese databases with a total of 19 studies involving 1,488 participants analyzed.

Results

Findings indicate that the most consistent improvements occurred in the mental and spiritual dimensions. A key strength of this review is its foundation in the IBMS theory, which facilitates a holistic understanding of HT's impact. Results also suggested that the prominent positive influence observed in the spiritual dimension could, in turn, enhance mental well-being. Regarding program design, interventions exhibited Chinese characteristics, often incorporating plant-related handicrafts and being commonly conducted indoors. Furthermore, the intervention duration and frequency did not significantly influence outcomes among student groups.

Discussion

Building on the IBMS theory, this review proposes a holistic framework to understand how HT contributes to student well-being, paying particular attention to the spiritual dimension.

Keywords

horticultural therapy students Chinese holistic well-being

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Improving Students’ Well-Being Through Horticultural Therapy: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Discussion

Keywords

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References