This study aimed to analyze the effects of a horticultural occupation therapy program using a healing garden on the emotional rehabilitation of patients with acute and chronic mental disorders, and to identify the possibility of using horticultural occupational therapy as a mental rehabilitation service to promote the social rehabilitation of patients with mental disorders. In this study, 20 patients diagnosed as chronic mental disorder at Seoul Metropolitan E hospital and 22 as acute mental disorder at Incheon H hospital were divided into 2 groups for Horticultural occupation therapy (HOT) and Group occupational therapy (GOT). General occupational therapy was provided 4 times a week for the experimental groups of patients with chronic and acute mental disorders, and a horticultural occupational therapy program using a healing garden was provided only once a week, a total of 12 sessions, for the experimental groups. For the control groups of patients with acute and chronic mental disorders, occupational therapy was provided 5 times a week only. Among the acute mental disorder patients, the treatment group showed a significant decrease in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and emotional stress scale (ES), whereas the control group didn’t (p<.001). On the other hand, such significant changes were not seen among the chronic GOT. Futhermore, the chronic HOT showed the significant effect in physical stress scale (PSE).

Introduction
 Research Methods
  Research subjects
  Research methods
  Research procedures
  Measurement tools
  Analysis methods
 Results and Discussion
  General characteristics of research subjects
  Effects of horticultural occupational therapy on acute mental disorders
  Effects of horticultural occupational therapy on chronic mental disorders
  Comparison of the effects of horticultural occupational therapy on acute and chronic mental disorders
 Conclusions
 References

• Mi Young Kim(Department of Occupational Therapy, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital)
• Woo Kwon Park(Department of Occupational Therapy, Kyungbok University) Corresponding author