Forest therapy using virtual reality in the older population: a systematic review

Abstract

IntroductionAs life expectancy increases, more attention needs to be paid to their mental and physical condition. Many older patients are also bedridden, which makes some treatments, like in vivo exposure to natural environments, more difficult to be applied. This study aimed to systematically review articles that include interventions combining virtual reality and forest environment, targeting a sample of older people.MethodsBased on PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a literature search in three databases (EBSCO, PubMed, and Scopus), plus gray literature (OpenGrey). We considered only studies that used forest settings via virtual reality and included a sample with age ≥ 65.ResultsAfter the screening and eligibility stages, 7 articles have been included.DiscussionThe study underlines the need to implement research in this direction to standardize effective procedures that can be used to improve the mental and physical health of the older people and caregivers, while also reducing social costs.

Forest Therapy Research in Europe: A Scoping Review of the Scientific Literature

“…The social aspects of forest therapy extend to its influence on social cohesion, community wellbeing, and addressing social inequalities: cultural and societal perceptions of nature and forests have been explored, alongside economic implications such as their role in eco-tourism, impact on local economies, and cost-benefit dynamics [69][70][71][72][73]. Additionally, studies have investigated educational applications, technological advancements (benefits of virtual forest contemplation), and the role of forest therapy in European public policy [74][75][76][77][78][79][80].…”