Study of the effect of purposeful activity (gardening) on quality of life in students with moderate to profound depression of Golestan dormitory in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Introduction: Students encounter many stressful factors during their educational time. Stress can result in different physical and mental disorders, dysfunction and decreasing quality of life. One of the nature based intervention is using purposeful activity of gardening. The goal of this research is Studying of the effect of using purposeful activity (gardening) on quality of life in students with moderate to profound depression of Golestan dormitory in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial and accomplished in 90-91 educational years of university. Sample was 50 depressed female students of Golestan dormitory in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. Students' settled in experimental and controlled groups randomly. Both groups were taken WHOQOL-BREF (Quality of life test). Then gardening sessions carried on in dormitory yard for 3 days per week through 2 months. Both groups were assessed with the same quality of life questionnaire again after intervention. Results were analyzed by SPSS18 for windows. Results: Using statistical tests showed that general quality of life increased in experimental group. Analysis of subsections after intervention revealed that quality of life increased in the bases of physical and environmental health but not in the bases of mental and social relational health in experimental group. Conclusion: General quality of life increases after using purposeful activity of gardening in depressed female students who are resident of dormitory but changes in subsections of quality of life after intervention (gardening) need more studies. Keywords: occupational therapy, depression, quality of life, gardening