Effects of Gardening-Related Modules on Mental Wellbeing of Participants with Disabilities: An Assessment of the Work and College Opportunities (W.A.C.O.) Program of Texas A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Abstract

This study investigated a cohort of a college education program of adults with disabilities (W.A.C.O.) to determine what effects, if any, the program’s horticultural lab has on participant’s mental wellbeing. Participants completed four administrations of a mental wellbeing scale––two of which were completed before the lab, and two after the lab––as well as participated in a voluntary focus group. These sources of data were combined with researcher observations and a teacher interview to provide a wholistic understanding of what the horticulture module cultivates in its students. Results show that while quantitative wellbeing showed little change tied to the lab (although student wellbeing overall was higher than population norms predicted), qualitative data explained overall student positivity toward the lab activities, but frustration with other programmatic factors such as interpersonal conflict and interruptions from maintenance activities.