AUTHOR=Zhang Xindi , Zhang Yixin , Zhai Jun 

TITLE=Home Garden With Eco-Healing Functions Benefiting Mental Health and Biodiversity During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Scoping Review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.740187

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2021.740187

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=The COVID-19 pandemic has led to tremendous impacts on human lives and society, which are not only because of negative effects on people’s mental health bringing from isolation policies and physical distance for mitigating the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but also because that incident post-acute sequelae of the coronavirus will cause mental disorders. Green environment is one of health resources, which can not only benefit human physical and mental health, but also increase biodiversity, contribute flood mitigation and cool in urban areas. Home garden as a kind of small green space can provide ecosystem services with eco-healing functions in reducing mental stress during the isolation period of the COVID-19 pandemic through garden itself and physical activities in it. Such eco-healing approach with mini-therapeutic landscape can also benefit biodiversity by enhancing plant diversity in residence and increasing biodiversity at a large scale. In the article, we propose a conceptual framework describing home garden as 'ecological medicine' with healing functions to improve mental health, as well as indirectly enhancing urban biodiversity. Home garden, as a mini-type of green landscape with biodiversity content, allows people to get close contact with nature so that it can promote comfortable and natural feelings during the pandemic. Furthermore, such eco-healing home garden approach with benefiting urban biodiversity can meet the challenges in maintaining environmental and mental health in post COVID-19 pandemic recovery, as well as preparing unknown next-surge risks with potential isolation regulations.