The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Anxiety and Quality of Life

NCT07826013 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HasanKU-001
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 56
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of a horticultural therapy program on anxiety levels in older adults and to evaluate the impact of this therapy on quality of life. The study was conducted as a randomized controlled experimental study using a pre-test-post-test design. Research Hypotheses Hypothesis 1: Horticultural therapy reduces anxiety levels in older adults. Hypothesis 2: Horticultural therapy improves the overall quality of life in older adults.

Conditions

Horticultural Therapy

Keywords

Older Adults; Anxiety; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS)

  A 30-item self-report scale developed to assess symptoms of anxiety in older adults, comprising somatic, cognitive, and affective subdimensions.Although there is no reverse scoring on the scale, each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 3. The items on the scale are scored on a 4-point Likert scale as "Never (0)," "Sometimes (1)," "Most of the time (2)," and "Always (3)." Somatic (physical) subscale-1, 6, 7, 15, 19, 20, 21 (9 items); Cognitive Subscale-2, 3, 10, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23 (8 items); Mood Subscale-4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18 (8 items). For the total score, only the scores of the first 23 items are summed; the scale ranges from a low score of 0 to a high score of 69. According to the scale results, a high score indicates a high level of anxiety.

  Week 0

• Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS)

  A 30-item self-report scale developed to assess symptoms of anxiety in older adults, comprising somatic, cognitive, and affective subdimensions.Although there is no reverse scoring on the scale, each item is scored on a scale from 0 to 3. The items on the scale are scored on a 4-point Likert scale as "Never (0)," "Sometimes (1)," "Most of the time (2)," and "Always (3)." Somatic (physical) subscale-1, 6, 7, 15, 19, 20, 21 (9 items); Cognitive Subscale-2, 3, 10, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23 (8 items); Mood Subscale-4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18 (8 items). For the total score, only the scores of the first 23 items are summed; the scale ranges from a low score of 0 to a high score of 69. According to the scale results, a high score indicates a high level of anxiety.

  Week 12

• World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form-Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF-TR)

  Developed by the World Health Organization, this scale is a comprehensive measure that assesses the well-being of older adults and enables cross-cultural comparisons. The WHOQOL-BREF scale consists of a total of 26 questions, including two questions-one regarding overall perceived quality of life and the other regarding perceived health status-and is composed of four main domains: physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental. While the scale does not have an overall total score, each section and domain is scored on a scale of up to 20 points or 100 points.

  Week 0

• World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Short Form-Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF-TR)

  Developed by the World Health Organization, this scale is a comprehensive measure that assesses the well-being of older adults and enables cross-cultural comparisons. The WHOQOL-BREF scale consists of a total of 26 questions, including two questions-one regarding overall perceived quality of life and the other regarding perceived health status-and is composed of four main domains: physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental. While the scale does not have an overall total score, each section and domain is scored on a scale of up to 20 points or 100 points.

  Week 12

Study Arms (2)

Horticultural Therapy Practice Group

EXPERIMENTAL

In the study, the older adults in the intervention group participated in gardening activities once a week on Wednesdays for 12 weeks, under the guidance of an academic expert in the field.

Behavioral: Horticultural Therapy Practice Group

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention was performed on the control group, which continued its routine activities.

Interventions

Horticultural Therapy Practice Group BEHAVIORAL

The Effect of Horticultural Therapy on Anxiety and Quality of Life in Older Adults

Horticultural Therapy Practice Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 60 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Volunteer to participate in horticultural therapy activities.

You may not qualify if:

• People with an acute illness or a severe physical disability.
• Those who are reluctant to participate in horticultural therapy.
• Individuals who are unable to participate regularly in the program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hasan Kalyoncu University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hasan Kalyoncu Universty

Gaziantep, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Registered Nurse

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 12, 2026
• First Posted: September 17, 2026
• Study Start: March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 30, 2025
• Study Completion: August 30, 2025
• Last Updated: September 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

TU (1)