Therapeutic Horticulture for Mental Health in Scottish Care Homes - Autumn Roesch-Marsh and Zoey Wang, University of Edinburgh

This event took place on 18 May 2026

This seminar will explore the findings of a small study in Scotland that aimed to explore the mechanisms through which horticultural interventions enhance the mental health and well-being of older adults and care staff in Scottish care homes, and identify conditions for their sustainable implementation.

Speaker biography

Autumn Roesch-Marsh

Autumn Roesch-Marsh - Senior Lecturer - University of Edinburgh

Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh is a keen gardener and a qualified social worker and Social Work Academic at the University of Edinburgh. Her research explores creative methods in social work practice and research.

Zoey Wang

Zoey Wang

Zoey Wang is a Global Mental Health and Society graduate from the University of Edinburgh, with a research focus on social and therapeutic horticulture (STH) and mental health. Her work examines how STH supports wellbeing in care home settings, with a particular focus on older adults and staff, the underlying mechanisms of impact, and the conditions that enable sustainable implementation. She uses qualitative interviews alongside literature analysis to connect research insights with practice in real-world therapeutic contexts.