Plants and Mental Health with Holly Theisen-Jones, NCC
Saturday, April 13th, 2024
NRG Center, Houston, TX

Resources & Recommended Reading

For Immediate Crisis Help: 988 Hotline
– Free, confidential, 24/7 mental health support within the United States.

Mental Health America
– For high-quality, professionally reviewed general mental health information. Includes self-screening tools, online support tools, and help finding a provider.

American Horticultural Therapy Association
– Accredited training programs, job boards, registered therapist directory, and more

Mental Houseplants
– A mental health advocacy blog and online plant shop that donates a percentage of all proceeds to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).

Therapeutic Horticulture Activities Database (THAD) – via University of Florida Department of Environmental Horticulture
– Huge database of horticulture therapy activities for many populations and presenting concerns. Many can be adapted for use in classrooms and with informal groups.

Don’t Overthink Gardening by Paige Curtis for The Atlantic, 2023
– Even small plant projects bring massive benefits and joys.

Your Houseplants Have Some Powerful Health Benefits – Time Magazine, 2023
– A research-laden yet easy read summarizing the mental health benefits of plants.

How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
– An inspiring and perspective-expanding book about how to live more offline and connect to the landscapes and community around you.

What is Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory? via Positive Psychology
– A great overview of a leading theory behind the mental health benefits of time in nature.

Bibliography

Akers, A., Barton, J., Cossey, R., Gainsford, C., Griffin, M., & Micklewright, D. (2012). Visual color perception in green exercise: Positive effects on mood and perceived exertion. Environmental Science & Technology 46(16), 8661-8666. https://doi.org/10.1021/es301685g.

Basu, A., Duvall, J., & Kaplan, R. (2018). Attention Restoration Theory: Exploring the role of soft fascination and mental bandwidth. Environment and Behavior, 51(9-10). https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916518774400

Flynn, J. (2022). The integration of nature-based play and EMDR therapies in the aftermath of trauma. In: Courtney, J. A., Langley, J. L., Wonders, L. L., Heiko, R., & LaPierre, R. (Eds.), Nature Based Play and Expressive Therapies (pp. 93-105). Routledge.

Franco, L. S., Shanahan, D. F., & Fuller, R. A. (2017). A review of the benefits of nature experiences: More than meets the eye. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14, 864-893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14080864

Hall, C. & Knuth, M. (2019). An update of the literature supporting the well-being benefits of plants: A review of the emotional and mental health benefits of plants. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, 37(1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.24266/0738-2898-37.1.30

Haller, R. L. & Capra, C. L. (2016). Horticulture therapy methods: Connecting people and plants in healthcare, human services, and therapeutic programs, Second Edition. CRC Press.

Huynh, T. & Torquati, J. C. (2019). Examining connection to nature and mindfulness at promoting psychological well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 66(2019), 101370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101370

Kamioka, H., Tsutani, K., Yamada, M., Park, H., Okuizumi, H., Honda, T., Okada, S., Park, S., Kitayuguchi, J., Abe, T., Handa, S., & Mutoh, Y. (2014). Effectiveness of horticultural therapy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 22(5), 930-943. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2014.08.009

Kaplan, R. & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.

Kim, W., Lim, S. K., Chung, E. J., & Woo, J. M. (2009). The effect of cognitive behavior therapy-based psychotherapy applied in a forest environment on physiological changes and remission of major depressive disorder. Psychiatry Investigation, 6(4), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2009.6.4.245

Lee, M., Lee, J., Park, B., & Miyazaki, Y. (2015). Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: A randomized crossover study. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 34(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs40101-015-0060-8

Nguyen, J. & Brymer, E. (2018). Nature-based guided imagery as an intervention for state anxiety. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1858. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01858

Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (third edition). Guilford Press.

Van Gordon, W., Shonin, E., & Richardson, M. (2018). Mindfulness and nature. Mindfulness, 9, 1655-1658. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-0883-6