Research Shows Flowers Boost Seniors'
Happiness, Memory, Social Networks
Rutgers Study Links Flowers to Senior Citizens' Well Being
Everyday, America's aging
population - 40 million and rising - faces the challenges of growing older,
including depression, memory loss and social withdrawal. As a concerned
nation, we are continually exploring new means to ease daily-life anxieties.
Recently, researchers at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,
released the results of a six-month behavioral study on the health effects
of flowers on senior citizens. The study demonstrates that flowers ease
depression, inspire social networking and refresh memory as we age.
"The results are significant because as our nation grows older and life
becomes more stressful, we look for easy and natural ways to enhance our
lives - and the lives of our aging parents," said Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones,
professor of psychology and director of the Human Development Lab at
Rutgers. "Now, one simple answer is right under our noses."
This research follows a study conducted in 2000, which links flowers to
greater happiness and life satisfaction in women. In 2001, Rutgers set out
to explore the effects flowers would have on senior citizens, who experience
different living situations and greater life changes.
Prevention in a Bud, Not a Bottle
More than 100 seniors participated in the Rutgers research study, in
which some received flowers and others did not. The results shed new light
on how nature's support systems help seniors cope with the challenges of
aging. The results are as follows:
- Flowers Decrease Depression. Study participants showed a
significant increase in happiness and positive moods when flowers were
present.
- Flowers Refresh Recent Memory. Seniors performed higher on
everyday memory tasks and experienced enriched personal memories in the
presence of flowers.
- Flowers Encourage Companionship. Seniors who received flowers
re-engaged with members of their communities and enlarged their social
contacts to include more neighbors, religious support and even medical
personnel.
"Instinct tells us that flowers lift our spirits, but, their effects on
seniors are especially profound, if not surprising," said Haviland-Jones.
New Evidence Sprouts Up
Specifically, 81 percent of seniors who participated in the study
reported a reduction in depression following the receipt of flowers. Forty
percent of seniors reported broadening their social contacts beyond their
normal social circle of family and close friends. And, 72 percent of the
seniors who received flowers scored very high on memory tests in comparison
with seniors who did not receive flowers.
"Happier people live longer, healthier lives and are more open to
change," said Haviland-Jones. "Our research shows that a small dose of
nature, like flowers, can do a world of wonder for our well-being as we
age."
Background
The Flowers & Seniors Study (2001) is the second floral research project
conducted by Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Ph.D., professor of psychology,
Project Director, Human Development Lab at Rutgers. Dr. Haviland-Jones is a
psychologist and internationally recognized authority in the role of
emotional development in human behavior and nonverbal emotional signals and
response. In 2000, Haviland-Jones completed the first phase of her research
on the emotional impact of flowers on women. The Society of American
Florists worked in cooperation with the Rutgers research team, bringing its
expertise of flowers to the project.
