A garden for meditation: experience report on the implementation of a protocol for individuals with anxiety in occupational therapy care

Abstract This study presents the implementation process and outcomes of the Anxiety Protocol in Occupational Therapeutic Care (PACTO), developed within the framework of municipal public policies and the strategy for comprehensive mental health care, conducted in the garden of a primary health care unit. PACTO was conceived as a social response to the growing demand related to anxiety disorders among adults and older people in the local health district. It is composed of care strategies based on Integrative and Complementary Health Practices (PICS) and the dialogue between human mental health and ecological dimensions. Between 2023 and April 2024, PACTO promoted 286 meditation sessions and 241 auriculotherapy sessions for both users and healthcare professionals. As outcomes of these actions, the initiative fostered the development of health promotion and prevention events, the retrieval of memories/reminiscences and spirituality, as well as the enhancement of environmental care and support for healthcare professionals. PACTO proved to be a potential response to current public mental health demands and a reference model for intersectoral practices involving evidence-based PICS. Expanding the availability and access to PICS means acknowledging the value of preserving other rationalities and care strategies within occupational therapy, ensuring accessibility for users of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), strengthening primary care, and encouraging initiatives for planetary health by considering environmental spaces as potential promoters of human care.