Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gibbins, Katey Marie
Language:English
Published: University of Dayton / OhioLINK 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1556455309480967
id ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-dayton1556455309480967
record_format oai_dc
spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-dayton15564553094809672021-08-03T07:10:50Z Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits Gibbins, Katey Marie Psychology Therapeutic benefits of farming or gardening Behavioral Activation Homelessness Interventions This feasibility study was completed within the context of the Behavioral Activation Research Project in Homeless shelters, which represents a collaboration between Dr. Roger N. Reeb (Professor of Psychology, Faculty Research Fellow in the Human Rights Center, University of Dayton) and administrators at St. Vincent de Paul (Dayton, Ohio). The Behavioral Activation Project collaborated with The Ohio State University Extension in order to establish an urban farm on the grounds of the Gettysburg Gateway Shelter for Men, which exists in a food desert and away from community resources. Based on a body of research suggesting psychological benefits associated with gardening and farming activities, it was believed that it would be possible to recruit shelter residents to assist on the urban farm. The feasibility study focuses on shelter residents (N = 29) who were recruited to assist researchers in activities to maintain the farm, such as watering plants, weeding and pruning the flower garden, and harvesting and weighing vegetables. Results showed some support for the main hypotheses of this feasibility study: (a) shelter residents who volunteer to assist with the farm perceive immediate benefits (i.e., perceive the work as meaningful, important, enjoyable, worthy of repeating); and (b) by virtue of working on the urban farm, shelter residents perceive decreases in anxiety and increases in sense of wellness. Results of analyses examining the hypothesis that the construct of connectedness-to-nature moderates or mediates therapeutic benefits of farming activities were also considered. Quantitative results (based on psychometric instruments) are supported by qualitative data (i.e., comments written by shelter residents). A number of serious methodological limitations and problems in this feasibility study are discussed, and recommendations for a more comprehensive and systematic study are delineated. 2019-05-31 English text University of Dayton / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1556455309480967 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1556455309480967 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Psychology
Therapeutic benefits of farming or gardening
Behavioral Activation
Homelessness Interventions
spellingShingle Psychology
Therapeutic benefits of farming or gardening
Behavioral Activation
Homelessness Interventions
Gibbins, Katey Marie
Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
author Gibbins, Katey Marie
author_facet Gibbins, Katey Marie
author_sort Gibbins, Katey Marie
title Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
title_short Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
title_full Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
title_fullStr Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
title_full_unstemmed Urban Farming in a Participatory Community Action Research Project in Homeless Shelters: A Feasibility Study of Therapeutic Benefits
title_sort urban farming in a participatory community action research project in homeless shelters: a feasibility study of therapeutic benefits
publisher University of Dayton / OhioLINK
publishDate 2019
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1556455309480967
work_keys_str_mv AT gibbinskateymarie urbanfarminginaparticipatorycommunityactionresearchprojectinhomelesssheltersafeasibilitystudyoftherapeuticbenefits
_version_ 1719455629464043520