본 연구는 독거노인(elderly people living alone)의 고독감 감소(reduction of loneliness)와 자기방임의 예방(prevention of self-neglect)을 위해 활동이론(activity theory)을 적용한 원예복지 프로그램(horticultural well-being program)을 실시하여 그 효과성을 알아보았다. 연구 대상은 경기도 성남시에 위치한 00노인복지관의 독거노인 지원센터에 소속되어 있는 65세 이상의 독거노인을 대상으로 하였으며, 실험 참여에 동의한 30명을 무작위로 실험군 15명, 대조군 15명으로 나누어 실시하였다. 연구기간은 2016년 6월부터 8월까지 주 1회, 회기 당 50분씩, 총 12회기로 실시하였다. 활동이론을 적용한 원예복지 프로그램의 작성은 그룹 활동을 위주로 각 그룹 내에서 상호작용이 극대화 되고 사회적인 활동이 자발적인 역할 활동으로 변화하는데 주안점을 두었다. 원예활동 선정은 고독감, 자기방임과 사회적인 활동(social activities)에 관련된 선행연구와 독거노인의 심리, 정서적, 사회적인 특성을 고려하여 선정하였으며, 지도교수(Professor)와 사회복지사 2 명, 원예치료학(horticultural therapist) 박사 1명에게 자문을 받은 후 수정과 보완단계를 거쳐서 완성시켰다. 또한 프로그램 진행은 집단 내 의 개인과 개인의 역할 수행에 중점을 두고 매 회기 별로 그룹으로 시행하였다. 프로그램 동안 실시된 원예활동은 꽃꽂이(arranging flower), 다육식물(Succulents) 심기(planting), 식물 모아심기(gather planting), 꽃바구니(flower basket), 테라리움(Terrarium), 토피어리, 꽃 케이크(make a flower cakes), 접시정원(dish gardens), 천연비누, 압화(pressed flower) 액자, 채소심기였다. 사용된 평가도구는 고독감 척도(The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), 자기방임척도, 노인생활만족도(life satisfaction)척도이며, 고독감, 자기방임, 생활만족도는 Mann-Whitney test로 그룹의 동질성과 효과성을 비교하였고, 그룹 내의 사전 사후 비교 변화를 위해서는 Wilcoxon signed-rank test를 사 용하였다. 실험결과에 따르면, 프로그램 실시 후 실험군의 고독감 검사의 하위영역인 사회적 주변인 부족(lack of social others), 소속감 부족 영역 (lack of belong and affiliation)은 대조군에 비해 유의한 향상이 나타났으며, 자기방임에서 유의한 감소가 있었다. 또한 노인생활만족도 검 사에서는 실험군이 현재(current)와 미래의 생활만족도(future satisfaction with life) 항목에서 대조군에 비해 프로그램 실시 후 유의한 향 상이 있었다. 반면 과거 생활만족도(past satisfaction with life)에는 유의한 변화가 없었다. 따라서 활동이론을 적용한 원예복지 프로그램은 차후 다양한 노인 공동체 활동이나 전문 복지 서비스 지원의 일환으로 충분히 활용될 수 있다고 판단된다.

This study was conducted to find the effectiveness of a horticultural activity program for mothers to improve the relationship between mother and child. The target participants were comprised of 60 mothers who have a child aged between 4 to 7 years, and they were divided into the experimental group (n=30) and the control group (n=30). Those of the experimental group attended 6 sessions of the horticultural activity program in total (one session per week, 90 minutes on average), and those of the control group did not participate in the program. A survey on parenting stress, self-esteem, parenting efficacy and emotional empathy was conducted before and after the program. Its results indicated that the participants of the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in the parenting stress level (associated with the characters of children, the relationship with them, and learning expectation). Their self-esteem also showed statistically significant improvements from perspectives of self-abasement, relationships with others, leadership and popularity, and assertiveness and anxiety. Their parenting efficacy including efficacy as a parent; anxiety and frustration as a parent; and interest and attention to parental roles showed statistically significant improvements, but there was no statistically significant difference in emotional empathy including emotional sympathy and empathic concern. In addition, the results of the satisfaction survey conducted among the mothers of the experimental group after the program indicated that their satisfaction of the overall program, the time required for a session, and the frequency of the program was high. In this study, it was found that positive changes could be realized through the horticultural activity program for the improvement of the relationship between mother and child by modifying relevant factors. It is expected that the participants of the study may experience more positive improvements if they can join horticultural activities with their child later, and it is necessary to develop programs that can engage parents in other environments based on the results of this study.

The aims of this research were to examine whether horticultural activity is appropriate for personality education to prevent reformatory students from redelinquency, to make use of it for developing educational programs and to take advantage of the research as based information. In order to accomplish the purposes, the researches and surveys were taken in four parts targeting 262 reformatory students from five different Youth Detention Centers out of ten centers in the country: simple mental health diagnostic inventory, general characteristics, preferences of personality programs that are currently underway to juvenile delinquents in juvenile protection education institution, and awareness and preference of the plants and horticultural activities. First of all, as a result of simple mental health diagnostic inventory, ‘depression’ appeared to be the highest while ‘hostility’, ‘somatization’, ‘obsessional thinking’, ‘interpersonal sensitivity’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘psychosis’ emerged in the order. Secondly, as a result of preferences of personality programs, ‘social work’ appeared relatively the highest, while ‘Do-dream program’, ‘art therapy’, ‘career exploration’, and ‘sex education’ showed in the order. Thirdly, 53.3% students responded that personality programs through horticultural activities is desirable and 84% appeared that they prefer it. The most preferred plant species were fruit trees (strawberries, apples), flowers (roses, herbs) and vegetables (Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes). The most interesting garden activities were ‘growing (cultivation)’, ‘decorating (decoration and craft)’ and ‘feeling plants (appreciating).’ Therefore, it is well ascertained that juvenile delinquents in juvenile protection education institution consider introducing horticultural programs into personality education positive. Based on these results, it is identified that more various and specialized horticulture programs to prevent reformatory students from redelinquency should be developed for practical use.