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Forests
Special Issues
The Healing Power of Forests
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The Healing Power of Forests

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 11654

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Domyung Paek

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Interests: system health and safety
Dr. Jae Hyoung Cho

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Director of Forest Human Service Division, Future Forest Strategy Department, National Institute of Forest Science, 57 Hoegi-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02455, Korea
Interests: plant biology; urban forest; forest healing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Human life has been intricately intertwined with forest activities ever since our ancestors roamed out of woods for subsistence. Nowadays, the bulk of human activities are carried out in urban settings, but forest land is still indispensable as a depot for natural resources, a habitat for wildlife, a sink for wider ecosystems, and an alternative setting for would-be naturalists.

In fact, more people are rediscovering life nearby or in the forest as wholesome and even desirable. We are now in the process of redefining activities in forests as 'bathing', 'healing', or even 'therapy', depending on how and what from the forest we can incorporate into our life.

Here, we are planning a Special Issue, titled 'The Healing Power of Forests' to look back upon our positions in this period of tumultuous change in the perspectives on sustainable or wholesome nature. All works pertaining to health and well-being from forest experiences will be relevant to this Special Issue. We hope that an active exchange of ideas will help us to reveal where we are now and where we are heading next.

Prof. Dr. Domyung Paek
Dr. Jae Hyoung Cho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forest bathing
  • forest healing
  • forest therapy
  • forest healing mechanism
  • forest for health
  • natural environment
  • forest environmental factor

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 3858 KiB  
Article
Psychological Effects of Forest Healing Camps on Atopic Dermatitis and Their Families
by Soojin Kim, Yeji Choi, Geonwoo Kim and Sujin Park
Forests 2023, 14(4), 758; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040758 - 7 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1300
Abstract
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased globally, regardless of age, and preschool children with AD experience greater levels of atrophy, depression, and anxiety. A home with AD experiences considerable stress as well, which affects family life, parenting, and spousal relationships. The [...] Read more.
The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased globally, regardless of age, and preschool children with AD experience greater levels of atrophy, depression, and anxiety. A home with AD experiences considerable stress as well, which affects family life, parenting, and spousal relationships. The provision of forest healing has a positive effect on symptom improvement, psychological stability, and recovery from depression. This study aimed to investigate psychological changes by providing a forest healing camp for atopic children and their families. The RCMAS, which can measure a child’s anxiety, and the K-PSI-SF, which can measure parenting stress, were used as psychological scales. The results showed that the total RCMAS significantly decreased by 2.05 points before and after the forest camp. K-PSI-SF scores also decreased by 8.63 points before and after the forest camp. Both RCMAS and K-PSI-SF, before and after the two-night and three-day program, decreased significantly compared to the difference in their total scores before and after the one-night and two-day program. The anxiety of atopic children and the stress of parenting was found to have decreased through forest camps. We hope that the system and forest healing programs will be established to care for atopic children and their families. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Healing Power of Forests)
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14 pages, 3184 KiB  
Article
Design of Game-Based Virtual Forests for Psychological Stress Therapy
by Nur Ain Mohamad Yahaya, Dayang Rohaya Awang Rambli, Suziah Sulaiman, Frederic Merienne and Emad Alyan
Forests 2023, 14(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14020288 - 2 Feb 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3732
Abstract
Numerous studies have reported the beneficial effects of natural environments on human health and wellbeing. Virtual games may offer a practical approach to experience the illusion of being in a natural setting for those with limited access to nature. This study presents an [...] Read more.
Numerous studies have reported the beneficial effects of natural environments on human health and wellbeing. Virtual games may offer a practical approach to experience the illusion of being in a natural setting for those with limited access to nature. This study presents an evaluation of a nature-based virtual environment application to modulate the participant’s affective and psychological state. We developed a game-based virtual therapy using the Unity 3D game engine by implementing forest therapy activities and designing the forest environment like a real-life forest. Eight healthy adults participated in this study and were observed remotely. The participants’ mood states before and after the game were evaluated using the Profile of Mood States (POMS). In addition, the satisfaction and usability of the game-based virtual forest were assessed using the Game-User Experience Satisfaction Scale and System Usability Scale, respectively. The results revealed that participants experienced significantly improved moods (p < 0.05) and decreased stress levels (p < 0.05) after playing the game. Moreover, the results indicated multiple positive correlations between the game experience and immersion subscales, revealing that audio and visual aesthetics offered an environment for users to feel more immersed. The study suggests using virtual forest games to promote positive mood and mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Healing Power of Forests)
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14 pages, 2554 KiB  
Article
A Model Combining Forest Environment Images and Online Microclimate Data Instead of On-Site Measurements to Predict Phytoncide Emissions
by Yeji Choi, Sujin Park, Soojin Kim, Eunsoo Kim and Geonwoo Kim
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1895; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111895 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1461
Abstract
In the existing phytoncide-prediction process, solar radiation and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) are difficult microclimate factors to measure on site. We derived a phytoncide-prediction technique that did not require field measurements. Visual indicators extracted from forest images and statistical analysis were used to [...] Read more.
In the existing phytoncide-prediction process, solar radiation and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) are difficult microclimate factors to measure on site. We derived a phytoncide-prediction technique that did not require field measurements. Visual indicators extracted from forest images and statistical analysis were used to determine appropriate positioning for forest environment photography to improve the accuracy of the new phytoncide-prediction formula without using field measurements. Indicators were selected from the Automatic Mountain Meteorology Observation System (AMOS) of the Korea Forest Service to replace on-site measured climate data and the phytoncide-prediction equation was derived using them. Based on regression analyses, we found that forest density, leaf area, and light volume above the horizon could replace solar radiation and PAR. In addition, AMOS data obtained at 2 m altitudes yielded suitable variables to replace microclimate data measured on site. The accuracy of the new equation was highest when the surface area in the image accounted for 25% of the total. The new equation was found to have a higher prediction accuracy (71.1%) compared to that of the previous phytoncide-prediction equation (69.1%), which required direct field measurements. Our results allow the public to calculate and predict phytoncide emissions more easily in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Healing Power of Forests)
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Review

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21 pages, 909 KiB  
Review
Indicators of the Psychosocial and Physiological Effects of Forest Therapy: A Systematic Review
by Hae-ryoung Chun, Yoon-Young Choi, Inhyung Cho, Hee-kyoung Nam, Geonwoo Kim, Sujin Park and Sung-il Cho
Forests 2023, 14(7), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071407 - 10 Jul 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1696
Abstract
Research on forest therapy and health outcomes is insufficient and involves the limited unification of various health indicators. Information on the natural therapeutic elements of forests and forest-therapy programs is insufficient. We investigated forest-therapy programs, the natural therapeutic elements of the forest environment, [...] Read more.
Research on forest therapy and health outcomes is insufficient and involves the limited unification of various health indicators. Information on the natural therapeutic elements of forests and forest-therapy programs is insufficient. We investigated forest-therapy programs, the natural therapeutic elements of the forest environment, and health-outcome measures to standardize the health indicators of forest therapy. A systematic review was conducted on the health outcomes of forest therapy from 2010 to 2021. We summarized natural therapeutic elements and forest-therapy sites, characteristics, and health outcomes. Twenty-nine articles were analyzed. Among them, forest therapies of walking and physical activity were conducted most frequently. Additionally, a positive improvement in general sentiment condition was substantial in all vegetation environments, and a reduction in depression, psychological enhancement, stress alleviation; and an enhancement in the cardiovascular system and the endocrine system occurred in both narrow- and broad-leaved forests. Walking, five-senses stimulation, physical activities, and meditation benefited psychological and physiological outcomes. We evaluated natural therapeutic elements of the forest-environment program and health outcomes. This systematic review can be used as a reference for the planning and operation of forest-therapy programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Healing Power of Forests)
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Other

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22 pages, 1551 KiB  
Systematic Review
Psychological Effects of Green Experiences in a Virtual Environment: A Systematic Review
by Mijin Lee, Eunsoo Kim, Jiwon Choe, Seonhye Choi, Siyeon Ha and Geonwoo Kim
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1625; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101625 - 3 Oct 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2548
Abstract
As mental health issues increase worldwide, nature-based experiences are being recognized as alternative treatments for improving health and well-being. Increasing urbanization precludes many people from accessing green spaces owing to time or physical limitations. Therefore, opportunities to connect with nature through virtual technology [...] Read more.
As mental health issues increase worldwide, nature-based experiences are being recognized as alternative treatments for improving health and well-being. Increasing urbanization precludes many people from accessing green spaces owing to time or physical limitations. Therefore, opportunities to connect with nature through virtual technology is being encouraged. We conducted a systematic review of studies on the psychological effects of experiencing nature using virtual technology. We searched the academic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for relevant studies and assessed their quality using Cochrane’s RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Twenty-one studies were included and the psychological outcomes were negatively synthesized by the intervention characteristics (duration, observation position of the landscape, interaction, environment description, and sensory type). Psychological outcomes were classified into emotional recovery, cognitive recovery, stress reduction, and other indicators. Emotional recovery was most consistently presented, and virtual natural contact alleviated negative emotions more than it elicited positive emotions. Additionally, virtual nature interventions lasting more than 10 min showed more consistent effects than those of less than 10 min. Moreover, an open field of view led to significant emotional recovery and an in-forest view led to significant cognitive recovery. Despite some limitations, our findings will contribute to the development of virtual forest experiences to improve human well-being. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Healing Power of Forests)
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