Benefit of the family garden for mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic in Jojutla, Morelos, México

Abstract

The context caused by the coronavirus affected people’s mental health. In this sense, the families in Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico experienced stress, anxiety, and depression due to confinement by the health emergency, the suspension of face-to-face activities, the lack of social coexistence, as well as fear by the severity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of this article was to analyze the benefit of the family garden for mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a mixed and participatory research approach, questionnaires, interviews, systematic tours, and participant ob-servation were applied to 30 families with a family garden and 30 without a family garden. The results reveal that access to this socioecological system favored relaxation, tranquility, spirituality, and happiness of the families, due to the colors, aromas, shapes and sounds of the plants and ani-mals present in this space. In contrast, families without a family garden maintained the problems that affected them. It is concluded that the family garden benefited the mental health of people through contact with the species, since it provided an ideal environment that contributed to min-imize the mental disorders associated with the pandemic.