Horticultural therapy as a means of psycho-emotional support for families raising children with special educational needs

Abstract. The purpose of this article is to address the urgent issue of psychosocial support for families raising children with special educational needs (SEN) by using innovative nature-based methods, particularly horticultural therapy (horticultural therapy). The importance of the family in social integration of children with SEN is highlighted, as well as the high emotional exhaustion experienced by parents. This paper examines the use of horticultural therapy as a resource for emotional recovery, psycho-emotional well-being stabilization, and the development of positive parenting practices both internationally and in Ukraine. The aim of the article is to substantiate the effectiveness of horticultural therapy as a means of psycho-emotional support for families raising children with SEN, and to identify opportunities for integrating this practice into systems of psychosocial assistance. In order to achieve this, an empirical study was conducted that involved 60 participants, including parents and adolescents with SEN. The program of horticultural therapy was specialized for the participants, with gardening activities, art therapy components, and reflective sessions included. The BDI, CDI, and STAI diagnostic tools resulted in a significant decrease in depression levels by 36-40% and anxiety levels by 16-20% in both parents and children. Additionally, there was a notable improvement in indicators of social adaptation (by 18-30%) according to the SASS, enhanced quality of life across all domains (measured by WHOQOL-BREF and WHOQOL-Youth), and positive dynamics in self-esteem and self-image as evaluated by the Semantic Differential method. The results demonstrate that the horticultural therapy program has a positive effect on emotional well-being, social inclusion, and family cohesion. The scientific novelty of the study lies in its interdisciplinary analysis of the effects of horticultural therapy on various aspects of psychosocial functioning in families with children with SEN, and in the development of an original horticultural therapy program tailored to the Ukrainian sociocultural context. The findings indicate that horticultural therapy can be integrated into psychosocial support practices as an effective tool for improving emotional resilience, adaptive capacity, and overall family quality of life.
Keywords: horticultural therapy, special educational needs, psycho-emotional state, parenting, psychosocial support, anxiety, depression, social adaptation, quality of life, inclusive education