Publication

Healing Garden: a nature-based solution to the mental health crisis

Recently published:

Orsolya Lazányi, György Pataki, Gabriella Farkas, Barbara Mihók, Beáta Pántya, Katalin Réthy, Krisztina Szilágyi, Hunor Török: Gyógyító kert: természetalapú megoldás a mentális egészség támogatására. Máltai Tanulmányok, 2024/3. 62-78. DOI: 10.56699/MT.2024.3.5

ABSTRACT
The crisis of mental health, related to the global polycrisis, is more
and more perceived worldwide. Nature-based solutions aim to mitigate these
crises, which allow us to solve our problems in cooperation with nature. One
type of nature-based solutions are healing gardens which build on the positive
impact of nature on human mental health. Healing gardens are habitats
created through the interaction between humans and non-humans contributing
positively to both biodiversity and human mental health. In the ‘Healing
Garden Living Lab’, a research organization, a civil society organization, and a
Hungarian mental health institution have joined together to transform a hospital
garden into a healing garden via participatory action research. Multiple form of
knowledge, the needs and experiences of the people who work and heal in the
hospital, and the interests of plants and animals living in and visiting the garden
all participate in the transformation of the garden.
KEYWORDS: healing garden, mental health, nature-based solutions,
participatory action research