園藝治療對家庭照顧者情緒及壓力知覺效益之初探

針對逐年增加的身心障礙者，不管是福利機構或政府部門，都提供多項服務；不過「家庭照顧」仍是身心障礙者主要的照顧護類型。面對需要長時間體力和心力付出的照顧工作，家庭照顧者的身心健康是值得關心與探討之議題。在提供給家庭照顧者的喘息服務或是減壓方案中，園藝治療是近年較新興的介入模式。園藝治療提供人接觸自然和植物的經驗，透過這樣的接觸，個體身心的壓力得以緩解。本研究以家庭照顧者為研究對象，透過園藝治療的實施，瞭解家庭照顧者情緒及壓力知覺改變的情形。研究設計採「單組前測－後測設計」，評量參與治療課程前、後壓力和情緒狀態的改變。課程結束8個月後，以訪談法探究園藝治療的持續效益。研究結果發現園藝治療可提升家庭照顧者的正向情緒、緩和負向情緒和壓力知覺程度。此外家庭照顧者返家後持續進行園藝治療活動，也能增加人際互動並舒緩負向情緒。此研究結果對未來園藝治療研究的建議和園藝治療課程設計，也在研究中討論。

關鍵字

家庭照顧者；情緒狀態；園藝治療；壓力知覺

並列摘要

Family caregivers play a critical role in service delivery to people with disabilities. The demands of care-giving can take a toll on caregivers' physical as well as psychological health, therefore it is important to provide effective services for family care givers to alleviate their stress. A one-group pretest-posttest design as well as follow-up interview were conducted to investigate the benefits of horticultural therapy on family caregivers. Fourteen family caregivers were recruited to participate a 3-weeks horticultural therapy course. At the end of the course, participants experienced significant decreases on both negative affect and the level of perceived stress. In contrast, their positive affect significantly increased. Many participants also continued horticultural activities at home after the completion of the course. These findings suggest that horticulture therapy benefit psychological well-being of family caregivers and that the benefit may sustain. Suggestions for future research and intervention were also discussed.

並列關鍵字

Family caregivers ； Emotion ； Horticultural therapy ； Perceived stress

參考文獻

中華民國家庭照顧者關懷總會（2012）。二○ 一二家庭照顧者十大新聞票選結果記者會。取自：中華民國家庭照顧者關懷總會網站http://www.familycare.org.tw/attachments/article/1257/1011116。[Taiwan Association of Family Caregivers. (2012). 2012 top ten news headlines of family caregivers. Retrieved from http://www.familycare.org.tw/attachments/article/1257/1011116.]