Abstract

As the quarantine life from COVID-19 is prolonged, the number of people suffering from mental and psychological disorders such as fear, anxiety, and depression from viral infection is increasing. Healing agriculture, which mediates agricultural resources, has proven various effects in terms of psychological and emotional aspects. Based on this, the study investigation was conducted during 2020 at Wind Sunshine Farm, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea to study the emotional effects on overcoming psychological trauma by conducting an agro-healing program for the selected elderly and housewives of the COVID-19 vulnerable class. The following agro-healing program was designed by applying flower therapy, aroma therapy, and food therapy using the five senses and was carried out using plants from the farm. The two groups of housewives and elderly ran the same program for each of the four sessions, making wreaths and flower arrangements using farm resources such as Setaria Hindis, Salvia officinalis, Capsella burapastoris, and Gomphrena globosa, planting Rosmarinus officinalis planted in herb gardens in the farm, and harvesting and cooking crops such as Ocimum basilicum, Lycopersicone sculentum, and Lactuca sativa. As an evaluation tool, anxiety (STAI-T) and depression scale (K-BDI) were used to examine emotional changes, and the level of stress was measured by measuring U-BIO MACPA and salivary acidity to determine physiological changes according to emotional function. When looking at the changes in the subjects after the agro-healing program, the degree of anxiety significantly decreased for the housewives (p=.037), but no significant changes within the elderly group. On the other hand, it was found that the degree of depression in the elderly, somewhat higher before implementation was significantly reduced (p=.010). As a result of measuring the stress index to examine physiological changes in emotional function, there was a significant decrease in housewives (p=.047), and no change within the elderly group. As a result of measuring saliva acidity at each session, housewives had a significant effect after implementation in sessions 1, 3, and 4 (p:=.011, p2=.083, p3=.016, p4=.010), and the elderly had significant effects in the 3rd and 4th sessions (p:=.140, p2=.564, p3=.005, p4=.007). It is judged that there will be positive effects if a longer-term curative agriculture program is applied to various groups suffering from trauma due to COVID-19.