An Evaluation Study of a Nature Based Rehabilitation in Sweden for Patients with Exhaustion Disorder

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a Nature Based Rehabilitation (NBR) for a group of patients with Exhaustion Disorder (ED) in the southwest Swe-den. A multidisciplinary team consisting of an occupational therapist, a phy-siotherapist, a medical doctor practising symbolic drama and a nurse with gardening experience provided NBR in an agricultural environment. Patients were offered 14 weeks of rehabilitation in a group of eight persons, three mornings per week. Seventeen patients participated in the study and 15 com-pleted the study. A semi-structured interview was conducted at the beginning of the rehabilitation and at the end and a follow-up interview by telephone was done one year after completion of the rehabilitation. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Assessment scales used included: Stress and Crisis Inventory (SCI-93), Coping Resources Inventory (CRI) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Weekly notes from the staff members were reviewed and com-pared with the patient’s own experience. The interviews and the staff notes were analysed with semantic thematic analysis. Result showed that this kind of NBR with a multidisciplinary team promotes improved health and im-proved quality of life for patients with ED and may thus constitute a good al-ternative to treatment, provided the ED has not become chronic.