A Study on the Effect of the Forest Healing Programs on Teachers’ Stress and PANAS

This study aimed to examine the psychological effects of forest activities in a campus forest. A pre-test and post-test control group design was employed to evaluate the psychological effect of forest activities in a campus forest. A total of 38 participants participated in this study (19 in the forest activities group; 19 in the control group). The Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaire, the Concise Measure of Subjective Well-Being (COMOSWB), and the modified form of the Stress Response Inventory (SRI-MF) were administered to each participant to assess psychological effects. This study revealed that participants in the forest activities intervention group had significantly positive increases in their mood, stress response, and subjective well-being, comparing with those of control group participants who did not partake in any forest activities. In conclusion, the implementation of forest activities in a campus forest is an efficient strategy to provide psychological well-being benefits to college students.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Forest Activities in a University Campus Forest on Student’s Psychological Effects

Kim

Jeon

Shin

2021

“…"Forest therapy program" is a set of structured activities and cognitive-behavioral therapy-based interventions using various elements of the forest environment to mitigate stress and to promote health [27]. Regarding the psychological effectiveness of forest therapy programs, many previous studies have reported improvement in depression, self-esteem, and anxiety [28][29][30][31]. For example, Jang et al [32] also reported that an after-school forest therapy program for infant participants was effective in improving pro-social behavior and efficiency of expressing themselves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Psychological Effects of a Campus Forest Therapy Program

Kim

Khil

Lim

et al. 2020

This study aimed to examine the psychological effects of a campus forest therapy program. To evaluate these, pre-test and post-test control group design was employed. A total of 38 participants participated in this study (19 in the campus forest therapy program group, and 19 in control). The Profile of Mood State (POMS) questionnaire and Modified form of the Stress Response Inventory (SRI-MF) were administered to each participant to assess psychological effects. The results of this study revealed that participants in the campus forest therapy program group had significantly positive increases in their mood and stress response compared with those of control group participants. In conclusion, the campus forest therapy program is an efficient strategy to provide psychological health benefits to university students and our study can inform decision-makers on the priority of the campus forest program in societal efforts to promote psychological well-being among university students.

“…Interest in the effects of forests in preventing diseases and promoting health is increasing [10]. Activities in forests are effective in reducing stress, and programs aimed at healing in forests are drawing attention in the field of preventive medicine [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first study on forest therapy in South Korea investigated the effects of forest therapy programs on depression reduction [37]. It was followed by various studies regarding children [38,39], elementary school students [40], middle and high school students [41], college students [42,43], office workers [32], workers with emotional issues [44], adult males [45,46], single mothers [47], pregnant women [26], middle-aged women [48,49], menopausal women [50], alcoholics [51,52], and the elderly [53,54].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Forest Therapy on Health Promotion among Middle-Aged Women: Focusing on Physiological Indicators

Park

Shin²,

Shin³

et al. 2020

Self Cite

Women experience more stress in middle age than in other life stages, and health in middle age is vital, because it influences the quality of life in old age. In this study, the effects of a forest therapy program on physiological changes in 53 middle-aged women (divided into two groups) who lived in the city were examined. One group participated in a three-day program in the forest, followed by three days in the city; the other group participated in a three-day program in the city, followed by three days in the forest. Forest experiments were conducted in a “healing forest,” and urban experiments were conducted near a university campus. Blood tests were performed to evaluate the physiological effects of forest therapy. Differences in serotonin levels and vitamin D levels were verified before and after the forest (experimental group) and urban (control group) programs through paired t-tests. Statistically significant increases in serotonin levels were noted for participants in the forest program; vitamin D levels also increased, but not by statistically significant values. The findings of this study verify that forest therapy programs promote health among middle-aged women, and may prevent disease and improve quality of life.