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

Abstract

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.

Cumulative Frequency of Nature Dose: How Continuous and Regular Forest Walking Improves Nature Relatedness, Restorativeness, and Learning Engagement in College Students

“…Moreover, subjects reported a reduction in stress after connecting to nature. This is consistent with the results obtained by previous research, according to which forest activities can improve mental health [40], reduce depression [41], and promote learning motivation and learning engagement [47,48]. These findings imply that regular exposure to nature for four weeks can improve an individual's mental wellbeing and learning attitude.…”

“…Engaging in walking in the forest [40,41] or viewing the forest landscape [42] can induce a positive mood, reduce depression, and improve physiological responses, such as lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher parasympathetic nervous activity, and lower sympathetic nervous activity. For instance, Kim et al [41] examined the impact of forest activities on college students' psychological responses.…”

“…Engaging in walking in the forest [40,41] or viewing the forest landscape [42] can induce a positive mood, reduce depression, and improve physiological responses, such as lower blood pressure and heart rate, higher parasympathetic nervous activity, and lower sympathetic nervous activity. For instance, Kim et al [41] examined the impact of forest activities on college students' psychological responses. They reported that the forest activity group demonstrated positive increases in their mood, stress response, and subjective wellbeing compared to the control group, which was not involved in any forest activities.…”

Short-Term Effects of Forest Therapy on Mood States: A Pilot Study

“…In a study performed in South Korea, 38 university students with a mean age of around 22 years, with 24 males and 14 females, were assigned in equal numbers to a forest therapy group or a control group [ 76 ]. The experimental group performed eight, one-hour-long sessions once a week according to a structured program but without active guidance.…”

The Effect of Forest Video Using Virtual Reality on the Stress Reduction of University Students Focused on C University in Korea

“…Forest activities have a positive effect on the psychological aspect of college students [ 49 ], as shown in studies in which intervention through forests plays a beneficial mediating role in mental health such as stress and anxiety [ 50 , 51 ]. In addition, a study showed increases in physiological well-being when walking after appreciating bamboo forest paths for 15 min [ 52 ], and a study showed that forest rest environments using virtual reality have a physiological positive effect on the human body [ 53 ].…”