Mid Sweden University

Research findings show that persons suffering from fatigue, chronic fatigue, and burnout have great difficulty reintegrating into working life after medical treatment. This suggests that improvement is required in both the medical and the vocational rehabilitation processes if this situation is to be turned around. The introduction and assessment of new, non-traditional vocational programs and interventions is therefore suggested. This paper proposes horticultural therapy for this particular group (and possibly others as well) and considers the garden environment better then other environments for the development and pursuit of a vocational rehabilitation program.

A Four-Step Theoretical Model is presented, aimed at using horticultural therapy, that is, a cognitive restructuring process using gardening as the basis of activities with the aim of improving human well being, as the cornerstone for the vocational rehabilitation program. The model divides the rehabilitation process into the following four overlapping phases: 1) restoration; 2) evaluation and planning; 3) treatment – return to working capacity; and 4) job placement.

Fundamental to the model is the assumed immediate reduction of arousal levels of persons in a garden environment. This allows the early introduction of the rehabilitation program with ongoing evaluation of developing levels of physical and psychological functioning—utilizing the versatile work tasks performed in gardening activities—and leading to fulfilment of the rehabilitation process; a process that is argued to be more effective when pursed in a garden environment as compared with other, more traditional environments.

As work tempo increases, work performance gradually becomes more focused on quantity, quality, and efficiency. Work tasks also become less structured, giving opportunity for rehabilitees to take more initiatives and personal responsibility. In the final return-to-work phase, rehabilitees are gradually reintegrated into regular jobs parallel with being phased out of the vocational rehabilitation program. It is assumed that through the learning process involved in the vocational rehabilitation program, rehabilitees will be better able to cope with future daily strain.