Development and Evaluation of an Agro-healing Program for Adults Addressing Burnout Risk Factors

This study evaluated, using a single-group pre–post design, a plant-mediated agro-healing program in nonclinical adults screened for elevated perceived stress [Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) score ≥ 17]. A total of 21 participants completed 8 weekly 90-min sessions that combined herb-based olfactory stimulation, farm work–related physical activity, and structured group-based psychological exercises. Self-report measures of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, psychological flexibility, self-esteem, and life satisfaction were administered at baseline and postintervention, and untargeted blood-based metabolomics was used to explore stress-related metabolites. Indicators commonly linked to burnout changed favorably: perceived stress, anxiety, and depression decreased ( P < 0.05), while psychological flexibility ( P < 0.01) and life satisfaction ( P < 0.001) increased. Psychological flexibility showed expected correlations with anxiety, depression, stress, and self-esteem ( P < 0.05–0.01). Metabolomics suggested postintervention reductions in sphingosine—a stress-linked lipid mediator—alongside complementary shifts across amino-acid and fatty-acid pathways. These findings indicate that a plant-mediated agro-healing program may support stress reduction, enhanced self-regulatory capacity, and plausible physiological modulation in nonclinical adults with high perceived stress. While relevant to burnout-related risk reduction, we refrained from labeling participants as “at risk of burnout” in the absence of diagnostic classification. Metabolomic signals are hypothesis generating and warrant confirmation via targeted assays and adequately powered, preregistered randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up and validated burnout instruments.