HORTICULTURE, WELL-BEING, AND MENTAL HEALTH: FROM INTUITIONS TO EVIDENCE

Can horticulture contribute significantly to human well-being and mental health? Increasing evidence suggests it can. These findings come from scientific studies with diverse populations, including residents of poor inner city neighborhoods, ecological restoration volunteers, and children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Moreover, the findings come from studies of diverse outcomes, including lower rates of violent and property crime, lower incidence of aggression, greater ability to cope with poverty, better life functioning, greater life satisfaction, reduced attention deficit symptoms, greater strength of community, and others. This presentation gives an overview of the evidence for horticultural contributions to human mental health and well-being, with a particular focus on its implications for children, the poor, and other vulnerable populations.