Study of the Effect of Using Purposeful Activity (Gardening) on Depression of Female Resident in Golestan Dormitory of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences

Background: Students encounter many stressful factors during their educational time. Stress can result in different physical and mental disorders such as depression. One intervention is using purposeful activity of gardening. The goal of this research is to investigate the effect of using purposeful activity (gardening) on depression of female resident in Golestan dormitory of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences. This study was an experimental field research with pre and post tests in case controlled groups in the year of 2012-2013. Fifty depressed female students of Golestan dormitory in Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences participated in the study. Students were randomly allocated to case and controlled groups. Both groups were taken Beck Depression Inventory. Then gardening sessions (seed and small tree planting) were carried on in dormitory yard for 3 days a week for two months. Each session took approximately one hour. Both groups were assessed with the same questionnaire again after intervention. Results: The results showed a significant recovery after intervention in case group based on the depression scores (P=0.0001). Conclusion: According to this study, it seems that using purposeful activity of gardening has positive effects on decreasing depression in depressed female students.