Search Results (19)

This study aimed to identify changes in visitor behavior and visitor interest in healing forests before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used text mining analysis techniques to identify changes in visitation behavior over time, divided into three periods, as follows: pre-COVID-19 (1 January to 31 December 2019), during the COVID-19 pandemic (1 November 2020 to 31 October 2022), and post-COVID-19 (1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023). After the COVID-19 outbreak, healing forest use behavior did not revert to pre-COVID-19 patterns. Moreover, the keywords “tourism” and “hiking” stood out as the main drivers of this change in behavior. Therefore, the Korea Forest Service and related authorities must examine the scalability of the functions, services, and programs of healing forests from a general healing space to a space for leisure and tourism. These findings will contribute to the development of future marketing strategies and programs for healing forests. Full article

Research is increasingly focusing on the health-promoting effects of forest healing programs. A number of different health indicators are in use, necessitating the establishment of standardized health measurement tools and protocols for forest healing. Also, it is necessary to improve the indicators and protocols by incorporating the opinions of program participants and instructors, so we conducted a qualitative analysis based on focus group interviews (FGIs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs). We collected opinions through interviews conducted for about 1 h with 32 participants in the pilot study and three instructors of the forest healing program. We utilized the MAXQDA program, commonly employed for qualitative research, such as coding and analyzing interview transcripts and literature reviews, as part of the qualitative research process. Three researchers coded and categorized the data, and the first author and corresponding author performed the final coding and categorization. Opinions on the five mental health questionnaires, three physical health measures, and exercise behavior measures used in the forest healing program were solicited. Opinions on the measurement protocol were also solicited. Participants faced challenges in completing the mental health questionnaire due to inappropriate terminology, difficulty in providing truthful responses due to repetitive questions, and the complexity of answering exercise-type questions due to the length of the survey and the absence of clear examples. It was identified that improvements are needed in the future. Some participants commented on the need to measure blood circulation and short-term health changes, and others noted that performing measurements in large groups was difficult, such that there was a need to introduce a measurement protocol for groups. This study is the first to qualitatively evaluate the validity of health measurement tools associated with forest therapy programs. It can contribute to the establishment of standardized health indicators and protocols, as well as serve as a valuable reference for selecting measurement tools to evaluate the effectiveness of forest healing interventions. Full article

This study addresses the growing need for phytoncide studies, driven by the demand to design indoor forest healing programs, including virtual reality experiences, for patients unable to visit actual forests. Previous studies have struggled to establish consistent phytoncide emission patterns in outdoor forest environments owing to varying microclimates and abiotic factors. In addition, the traditional gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) method presents field measurement challenges, whereas the selected ion flow tube (SIFT)-MS method offers improved efficiency. This study concentrated on a controlled phytotron environment and compared the GC-MS and SIFT-MS findings, revealing similar emission trends with slightly higher SIFT-MS concentrations. Daily phytoncide emissions fluctuated with light intensity and abiotic stressors. Both methods consistently detected pinenes, primarily emitted by Pinus strobus L. seedlings, in the phytotron. Statistical analysis confirmed the compatibility between GC-MS and SIFT-MS results, supporting the use of SIFT-MS for forest phytoncide assessment. In the second phase, the phytoncide emissions were assessed indoors, outdoors, and in the phytotron, highlighting the superiority of the phytotron under controlled conditions. Despite certain limitations, this study underscores the value of phytotron-based measurements for indoor forest healing programs and the potential adoption of SIFT-MS in future field-based phytoncide research. Full article

Depression is considered a widespread mental health problem worldwide. Moreover, anxiety symptoms are very closely related to depression in patients, and it is known that the coexistence rate of depression and anxiety diagnosed simultaneously is high. Treatment and preventive management of depression and anxiety are essential for public health. Forest healing is attracting attention as a form of low-cost preventive medicine that is safe and has no side effects. However, although the physiological and psychological effects have been scientifically proven, it is insufficient to reveal a direct relationship between forest healing and depression. This study investigated the benefits of an urban forest healing program on depression and anxiety symptoms in depressive disorders. We employed a randomized controlled trial design. Forty-seven depressive patients were randomly divided into an urban forest healing program group and a control group. Measures included the Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. Our results revealed that the combination of general treatment and forest healing programs for patients with depression is more effective in improving depression and anxiety than routine treatment alone. We expect our work to serve as a starting point for more sophisticated research discussing the availability of non-pharmacological treatments in forest healing. Full article

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

Background: Demand for urban forest programs for the healing of cancer survivors is increasing. To develop a forest healing program for the integrated care of cancer patients, it is necessary to analyze the experiences of forest healing instructors who have conducted programs for cancer patients. Methods: This qualitative study applied focus group interviews (FGIs; four interviews with sixteen participants) to describe and understand the experiences of forest healing instructors who run forest healing programs for cancer patients. Results: Four themes were identified: “prepared encounters and unexpected encounters,” “yearning for healing,” “people who need special care,” and “things to prepare for cancer patient programs.” Conclusion: Forest healing instructors had difficulty facilitating programs for cancer patients owing to prejudice and a lack of knowledge about the characteristics of cancer patients. Moreover, differentiated programs and places that align with the specific needs of cancer patients are needed. It is necessary to develop an integrated care forest healing program for cancer patients and educate forest healing instructors about the needs of cancer patients. Full article

Forest healing, also known as forest therapy, has been documented as preventive therapy to enhance health. Primarily, many studies have indicated the benefits of a guided forest-healing program operated under the guidance of a forest therapist. However, little is known about the benefits of a self-guided forest healing program carried out alone, without a guide. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to investigate the psychological benefits of a self-guided forest healing program. We designed a randomized 3 × 3 crossover study. Twenty-three university students were randomly exposed to three different conditions: a self-guided forest healing program, a guided forest-healing program, and routine activities. Measures included the Profile of Mood State (POMS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-X1 (STAI-X1). As a result, self-guided and guided forest-healing programs significantly improved subjects’ mood states and anxiety symptoms compared to routine activities. Participating in a forest healing program with guides and participating in a self-guided forest healing program both provided psychological benefits for subjects, showing that self-guided programs can be effectively combined with forest healing. These findings suggest new ways to utilize forest healing to improve mental health. Therefore, the self-guided forest healing program proposes a complementary use of the guided forest-healing program in a modern urbanized society. Full article

It is important to manage the health of cancer survivors who have returned to their daily lives. An increasing number of cancer survivors are undertaking health care in forests near their residences. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the perceptions of forest healing and the program preferences of adult cancer survivors. Data were collected from 388 female cancer survivors through an online survey. Breast cancer survivors comprised 66.2%, and 63.6% of the study participants were diagnosed with cancer within 2 to 5 years prior to the study. The subjective health status was 2.68 ± 0.61 out of 4 points. Of the participants, 62.1% had heard of forest healing and 65.7% intended to participate in the forest healing program. Participants who frequently visited the forest were more likely to participate in the forest healing program in the future than those who rarely visited the forest. A survey among 255 people on specific preferences for the program found that the regular visit type was preferred over the one-time visit type. These results are meaningful because they can be used as a basis for the development of a forest treatment program that reflects the needs of cancer survivors. Full article

This study aimed to identify the priority of educational needs to strengthen the competency of forest healing instructors who operate forest healing programs for cancer survivors. A survey was conducted with 91 forest healing instructors using a questionnaire. The average perceived importance of the forest healing program for cancer survivors of forest healing instructors was higher compared to the average knowledge of the forest healing instructors. The Borich needs assessment model showed the highest educational need in the domains of “Cancer survivors’ overview” and “Health status screening method”. In addition, deriving the priority of educational needs using the Borich needs assessment model and the focus trajectory model revealed that the highest priority was for “Health status screening method” and “Effective communication with cancer survivors”. These results can be used as basic data for developing a forest healing instructors training program for cancer survivors that reflects the instructors’ needs and the characteristics of cancer survivors. Full article

This study aimed to determine the effect of a forest healing anti-aging program on psychological, physiological, and physical health in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Twenty-two older people with MCI living in the city participated in a forest healing anti-aging program. Psychological indicators included the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Beck depression inventory (BDI), profile of mood states (POMS), World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument (WHOQOL), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI). Physiological indicators included vital signs, body composition, and blood analysis. Physical indicators included the senior fitness test (SFT), muscle strength, spatiotemporal parameter of gait, static balance, and dynamic balance. Psychological, physiological, and physical indicators were evaluated at first and second pre-measurement, post-measurement, and one-month follow-up. MMSE, BDI, POMS, WHOQOL, body composition, blood analysis, SFT, muscle strength, spatiotemporal parameter of gait, and dynamic balance were significantly different between pre- and post-measurement. Beck depression inventory, POMS, WHOQOL, PSQI, SFT, muscle strength (elbow flexor muscle, knee extensor muscle), spatiotemporal parameter of gait significantly improved continually until the one-month follow-up. In conclusion, the forest healing program had a positive effect on the psychological, physiological, and physical health of older people with MCI. Full article

This study targeted medical workers, who are currently being subjected to an excessive workload and emotional stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. Various treatment programs, such as a relaxation program to relieve stress, a walk in the forest, and woodworking were provided to the participants as forest healing therapies. We enrolled 13 medical workers (11 females, 2 males). Before and after forest healing therapy, stress and sleep-related questionnaires and levels of salivary cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), and melatonin were measured and compared. The improvement of the perceived stress scale and the decrease of DHEA-S, a stress index, showed statistically significant results. However, although this study was conducted with a small number of participants and has a limitation in that the therapy occurred over a short period of only 1 night and 2 days, the trend of supporting results remains positive. As such, the authors propose forest healing therapy as one intervention to relieve the job stress for this group of workers Full article

Although the effectiveness of urban forest therapy has been studied and proven, most people are not well aware of the positive healing effects of urban forests that are easily accessible in daily life compared to the known healing effect of forests located outside urban areas. In addition, there has been a study on the analysis of urban forest healing program needs in the general population, but there is a lack of evidence on the expected values and needs of urban forest healing for people with diseases. Therefore, this pilot survey aimed to investigate the expected values, needs, and preferred components of urban forest healing programs in urban forest visitors with disease via an online user survey and see if there were any differences in the purpose of the urban forest visits and expected values of urban forest healing depending on the type of disease. The survey was conducted on 294 urban forest visitors with diseases. About 79% of respondents agreed with the healing effects of urban forest, however most respondents expected healing effects on mental health rather than on physical health (“mood change” was the highest with score of 4.43/5, followed by “reliving stress” (4.35/5) and “mental and physical stability” (4.31/5)). In addition, more than 82.0% of respondents agreed to participate in the program if a healing program for disease was developed. The results of the current pilot survey indicate that the purpose of the urban forest visits and expected values of urban forest healing were largely not different by the type of disease, and people with disease had a relatively lower awareness and lower expected values of urban forest healing effects on physical health, but high demand for the program. Urban forest therapy programs should be developed based on the specific clinical characteristics of the disease to maximize the effectiveness of the program. Additionally, policies should be implemented to promote the beneficial effects of urban forest healing not only for mental health but also for physical health. Full article

Various effects of forest healing on health have been reported, but a certification system to assess the effectiveness of forest healing programs does not exist. In this study, a systematic review (SR) on the “health benefits of forests” and “meta-analysis of forest therapy” was conducted after analyzing the status and level of evidence of 75 forest healing programs that were conducted post-certification in South Korea. The SR for “health benefits of forests” distinguished between activities and time, resulting in 90.9% of walking activities for more than an hour under psychological health, and 100.0% of exercise activities for less than an hour under physiological health. However, the effect of indirect activities performed for more than an hour was unknown. Thus, we confirmed that many indoor activities in the field had low effect size or no established basis regarding the feasibility of its operation. The SR on “meta-analysis of forest therapy” to check whether the program was effective. The highest number of healing effects were obtained for blood pressure (32), followed by psychological depression (24). The findings of this can serve as baseline data to facilitate future development and dissemination of evidence-based forest healing programs. Full article

Despite the unique characteristics of urban forests, the motivating factors of urban forest visitors have not been clearly differentiated from other types of the forest resource. This study aims to identify the motivating factors of urban forest visitors, using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling based on social big data. A total of 57,449 cases of social text data from social blogs containing the keyword “urban forest” were collected from Naver and Daum, the major search engines in South Korea. Then, 17,229 cases were excluded using morpheme analysis and stop word elimination; 40,110 cases were analyzed to identify the motivating factors of urban forest visitors through LDA topic modeling. Seven motivating factors—“Cafe-related Walk”, “Healing Trip”, “Daily Leisure”, “Family Trip”, “Wonderful View”, “Clean Space”, and “Exhibition and Photography”—were extracted; each contained five keywords. This study elucidates the role of forests as a place for healing, leisure, and daily exercise. The results suggest that efforts should be made toward developing various programs regarding the basic functionality of urban forests as a natural resource and a unique place to support a diversity of leisure and cultural activities. Full article

This study aimed to establish a health and medical foundation for forest healing programs and provide a basis for developing an evaluation system for such programs. While the number of visitors to forests and interest in forest healing effects are increasing, few studies have examined the various indicators of the persistent changes in forest healing effects. Therefore, this study conducted pre-, post-, and follow-up experiments on 87 health and clinical indicators in a sample of 88 adolescent participants. The relationships between pre-, post-, and follow-up experiment results for each indicator were analyzed. Of the 87 indicators, 46 showed significant changes, including systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, serotonin, vitamin D, CD16+CD56 count, interferon-γ, resilience, and self-esteem. The findings are significant for studying diverse participants and indicators and lay the foundation for developing forest healing programs by clarifying aspects such as the indicators suitable for short-term observation versus the indicators requiring long-term observation. Based on these analyses, the results of this study are expected to be useful when conducting research to establish an evidence-based forest healing program in the future. Full article