This study investigated the intervention effects of labor education courses on college students’ positive psychological qualities by integrating the PERMA theory of positive psychology and horticultural therapy. The research aimed to provide theoretical and practical insights for advancing practical education and mental health systems in higher education. A quasi-experimental design was implemented, with 50 students participating in the PERMA-based labor education courses as the experimental group and 150 same-grade students as the control group. The intervention comprised 16 sessions (32 credit hours) of labor practices. An adapted scale for measuring positive psychological traits of college students based on the PERMA theory was used to collect pre-test and post-test data for analysis. The results indicated that the experimental group scores significantly higher than the control group in the post-test on the five dimensions of PERMA (positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment). The findings indicate that labor education, through immersive farming experiences and horticultural therapy, systematically enhances students’ positive psychological qualities. This study validates horticultural therapy as an implicit intervention tool and proposes a replicable curricular model for integrating practical education and mental health promotion in universities.

psychological health education, PERMA theory, labor education, Horticultural Therapy, positive psychological qualities