Gardening as a tool to support positive mental health in children

As a paediatric Occupational Therapist, I have worked with hundreds of children, diagnosed with a range neurological and mental health disorders. In fact, the second main reason for referral to my therapy services, only after Autism Spectrum Disorder, is anxiety and the resulting behavioural responses and difficulty with emotion regulation.

Outcomes of the ‘Young Minds Matter’ survey, conducted by the Australian Government in 2014, revealed 1 in 7 children and adolescents, aged 4-17 years, were assessed as experiencing mental health disorders in the previous twelve months- more than half a million children! To acknowledge National Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to share one of my favourite activities to support positive mental health in children - gardening.