Sowing the Seeds or Failing to Blossom: A Feasibility Study of a Simple Ecotherapy-Based Intervention in Women Affected by Breast Cancer

The study was designed as a feasibility study to explore the acceptability and potential psychological benefits of a simple ecotherapy-based intervention for individuals affected by cancer. Recognizing that active engagement with outdoor nature activities might be limited for patients undergoing treatment or recovery, the research aimed to explore alternative, simple, indoor nature-based interventions that could be used in a home environment. Rooted in the understanding that engaging with nature can be an accessible and cost-effective way to achieve physical and psychological health outcomes, including stress reduction, pain management, and psychological benefits, this study focused on whether similar therapeutic benefits could be obtained through a small-scale, indoor activity.

The intervention involved participants cultivating and customizing an indoor garden bowl in their own homes for a period of three months. Participants were encouraged to plant, personalize, and nurture the bowl at their own pace, reflecting the importance placed on the flexibility of engagement. The study recruited seven women from an existing breast cancer support group in South Wales who had completed cancer treatment. Data were collected through diary writing (though engagement was low) and email sharing of experiences, culminating in a focus group or telephone interview at the end of the study period for thematic analysis of their experiences. The study highlighted challenges in recruitment and participants’ reluctance to engage with an online forum that was initially proposed.

Phelps, C., Butler, C., Cousins, A., & Hughes, C. (2015). Sowing the seeds or failing to blossom? A feasibility study of a simple ecotherapy-based intervention in women affected by breast cancer. Ecancermedicalscience, 9, 602