Therapy garden space for youth inpatient mental health; planning, implementation and outcomes
Louise Splatt1 1Royal Perth Bentley Group, Perth, WA, Australia
Abstract
A therapy garden space for inpatient youth mental health was established in collaboration with EMHS Innovation Ideas Challenge 2021.
Young people of all cultural backgrounds often describe the physical experience of the inpatient setting as difficult to tolerate, uncomfortable and overwhelming. The therapy garden is designed to support application of evidence-based strategies (sensory modulation, meaningful activity, social engagement, relaxation space, meeting area), contribute to reduction in mental health experiences and create a therapeutic environment to support engagement during admission. Through this, the youth therapy garden contributes to mental wellbeing of all young consumers through a holistic and client-centered approach to mental health care.
All aspects were co-designed with youth consumers, families, staff and local Aboriginal Health Consumer Advisory Group. Alongside Occupational Safety and Health considerations and health service policy, an evidenced-based garden design was created and implemented. Evaluation was conducted over six months on the use, engagement and benefit of the youth therapy garden.
Outcomes:
•Simply being in the garden’s sensory environment is the biggest contributing factor to consumer benefit
•Reduction of anxiety (93%) and low mood (89%) and additional experience of enjoyment (65%) because of engagement in the therapy garden
•Staff engaged in using the therapy garden daily
•Low initial cost and sustainable
A therapy garden space within youth mental health inpatient services is a valuable, and therapeutic sensory environment which contributes to engagement and participation during the admission, reduces mental health experiences associated with the clinical environment and improves the overall admission experience.
Biography
Louise Splatt is an Occupational Therapist within the Royal Perth Bentley Group. She has 20 years experience in the field of mental health, including specialist areas of youth, early intervention, assessment, police co-response, community and inpatient services. Current areas of interest include neurodiversity and mental health, service development and promoting occupational therapy within mental health.