📄 Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of an eight-week therapeutic gardening program as a community-based intervention for reducing depression among low-income rural residents in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Utilizing a quantitative, quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test research design, the study screened and randomly selected N = 300 vulnerable adults aged 18–35 exhibiting mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms via multi-stage cluster sampling. The active intervention combined structured micro-farming activities—including planting, tending, and harvesting vegetables—with integrated mindfulness practices across five socio-economically challenged, agriculture-dependent municipalities: Guimba, Licab, Rizal, Pantabangan, and Carranglan. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a standardized psychometric instrument demonstrating strong internal consistency (alpha = .89), was electronically administered to establish baseline conditions and measure post-intervention psychological shifts. Inferential data analysis using paired t-tests was executed to determine statistically significant differences in depression severity scores over the eight-week implementation period, supplemented by descriptive statistics to track community engagement patterns. Ethical benchmarks were strictly maintained in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) Code of Ethics, securing voluntary informed consent and providing institutional referral paths for severe clinical cases. The findings offer a robust, empirical framework for local government units, municipal health offices, and academic stakeholders to institutionalize scalable, contextually relevant nature-based therapies. Eventually, this research provides an evidence-based strategy to bypass systemic psychiatric barriers, decentralize mental health delivery at the grassroots level, and advance United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) across rural agricultural communities.
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📚 How to Cite:
Richard C. Arambulo , MINDFUL MICRO-FARMING: ASSESSING THERAPEUTIC GARDENING PROGRAMS FOR DEPRESSION RELIEF IN LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES SELECTED RURAL MUNICIPALITIES IN NUEVA ECIJA , Volume 13 , Issue 7, July 2026, EPRA International Journal of Socio-Economic and Environmental Outlook(SEEO) , Pages: 1 - 7 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra28591