Author(s)

Gärd Holmqvist^*, Cristina Lundqvist-Persson

Skaraborg Institute for Research and Development, Regionens Hus, Skövde, Sweden.

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 Sweden. A multidisciplinary team consisting of an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, 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 completed 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 compared 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 improved quality of life for patients with ED and may thus constitute a good alternative to treatment, provided the ED has not become chronic.

Burn Out Syndrome, Exhaustion Disorder, Stress Disorder, Nature Based Rehabilitation

Holmqvist, G. and Lundqvist-Persson, C. (2021) An Evaluation Study of a Nature Based Rehabilitation in Sweden for Patients with Exhaustion Disorder. Health, 13, 934-954. doi: 10.4236/health.2021.139072.