ReviewFrontiers in psychiatry2024
Effectiveness of social and therapeutic horticulture for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Review in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- Nurse‑led horticultural activities as an early intervention for mild‑to‑moderate depressive symptoms among youth in Hong Kong: an exploratory randomised controlled trial.BMC public health · 2026Trial
- Restoring well-being through nature: a mixed-methods study of co-designed therapeutic gardening among people experiencing homelessness.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The role of horticultural therapy in the clinical rehabilitation of patients with depression: A scoping review.The Journal of international medical research · 2026Article
- Priority of nutrition and exercise in depression management: triangulating mini-review of past and recent evidence with clinical practice guidelines.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Review
- Job insecurity, psychological safety, work alienation, and anxiety in the hotel industry: a moderated-mediated analyses.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health conditions, that often co-exist and relapse over time. There is a need for sustainable treatment options to address increasing rates of depression and anxiety and reduce the strain on health systems. Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) is a nature-based health intervention that can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, however synthesised evidence of its effectiveness is required to inform commissioning and availability of interventions. Aim: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of STH for reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Method: Following PRISMA guidelines and the protocol registered on Prospero (CRD42024542671) a systematic search of scientific databases and grey literature was conducted to identify quantitative studies examining the impact of STH interventions on depression and anxiety outcomes. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported on an STH intervention that was led by a trained practitioner, administered to adult populations who were identified as either at risk, with symptoms or diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety and reported on depression or anxiety outcomes measured using validated scales. Data from eligible studies were extracted and analysed using a random effects meta-analysis. Results: Seventeen studies were identified for inclusion including four RCTs, ten quasi-experimental studies with comparators and three single group studies. Nine studies reported outcomes for depression only, two for anxiety only and six for both depression and anxiety. Across studies with comparators, meta-analyses revealed large and significant effects in favour of the STH group for depression (SMD= -1.01; p=<.001) and moderate and significant effects in favour of the STH group for anxiety (SMD=-.62; p<.001). There was significant heterogeneity across studies, with high risk of bias, particularly for statistical validity and outcome measure reliability. Conclusions: STH interventions have the potential to support existing treatment approaches for depression and anxiety. However, to inform commissioning and upscaling of services, rigorous randomised studies comparing STH to treatment as usual for depression and anxiety are required.
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