Purpose Horticultural therapy (HT) has proliferated in recent years as a nonpharmeceutical therapy to improve participants’ well-being. This study systematically reviews the effectiveness of HT on the holistic well-being of Chinese students. Methods Guided by the Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (IBMS) theory, the review included intervention studies conducted in China that measured at least one domain of students’ physical, mental, or spiritual well-being. Studies were identified from English and Chinese databases with a total of 19 studies involving 1,488 participants analyzed. Results Findings indicate that the most consistent improvements occurred in the mental and spiritual dimensions. A key strength of this review is its foundation in the IBMS theory, which facilitates a holistic understanding of HT's impact. Results also suggested that the prominent positive influence observed in the spiritual dimension could, in turn, enhance mental well-being. Regarding program design, interventions exhibited Chinese characteristics, often incorporating plant-related handicrafts and being commonly conducted indoors. Furthermore, the intervention duration and frequency did not significantly influence outcomes among student groups. Discussion Building on the IBMS theory, this review proposes a holistic framework to understand how HT contributes to student well-being, paying particular attention to the spiritual dimension.
Gao et al. (2026) studied this question.