Participation in gardening activity and its association with improved mental health among family caregivers of people with dementia in rural Uganda.

Abstract

Evidence from high-income settings suggests that gardening is associated with reductions in depression,anxiety,and stress. The benefits of gardening are less well understood by mental health practitioners andresearchers from low- and middle-income countries. Our study estimated the association between participation in gardening and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among caregivers of people living with dementia in rural, southwestern Uganda. In a cross-sectional study, we interviewed 242 family caregivers of people with dementia to elicit their gardening activities; symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales); and caregiving burden (Zarit Burden Interview).Linear multivariable regression models estimated the association between participation in gardening and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Out of 242participants, 131(54%) caregivers were involved in gardening. Severe to extremely severe symptoms of depression were less prevalent among those who were involved in gardening compared with those who were not (0 [0%] vs. 105 [95%], P<0.001), as were severe to extremely severe symptoms of anxiety(36 [27%] vs.110 [99%], P<0.001) and stress (2 [2%] vs. 94 [85%], P<0.001).In regression models adjusting for covariates,we foundstatistically significantassociations betweenparticipation in gardening and symptoms of depression (b=-18.4; 95% CI,20.5 to -16.3), anxiety (b=-16.6; 95% CI, -18.6 to -14.6), and stress (b=-18.6; 95% CI, -20.6 to -16.6).Caregivers of people with dementia who participate in gardening have lower symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Gardening interventions in this at-risk population may ameliorate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.