The influence of forest therapy camp on depression in alcoholics

Abstract

Objectives To evaluate the effect of a forest experience on the levels of depression of alcoholics. Methods Prior to the study, 92 alcoholics were divided into treatment and control groups. During the summer of 2009, the treatment group participated in a series of forest therapy programs, while the control group followed their normal daily routines. Both groups were re-tested upon completion of the program by the treatment group and the depression levels compared. Results There was a significant improvement in the depression level of alcoholics who had participated in the forest camp program (treatment group). Those participants in their 40s who had severe levels of depression at the beginning of the program showed the most significant improvement during the program experience. Conclusion The forest therapy camp experience can considerably reduce and ameliorate the depression levels of alcoholics.

The influence of indirect nature experience on human system

“…Contact with nature has been evidenced to enhance psycho-physiological effect positively (Shin et al 2012;Beil and Hanes 2013;Bang et al 2017;Lee 2017). The present study was performed to compare the psycho-physiological effects of direct and indirect nature experience.…”

“…They believed that the initial affective response to an environment shapes the cognitive events that follow, leading to sustained attention, higher levels of positive feelings, and reduced negative or stress-related feelings (Valtchanov et al 2010). The growing number of studies supported Ulrich and his colleagues' argument and evidenced that viewing natural scenes contributes to reducing stress, provides more positive psycho-physiological effects on human systems, and may facilitate recovery from illness (Shin et al 2012;Bang et al 2017;Lee 2017). Crosscultural studies also indicate that visual exposure to natural scenes improves moods, reduces stress, and provides optimal physiological activation (Han 2010;Shin et al 2011;Honold et al 2014;Song et al 2015;Bang et al 2017;Lee 2017).…”

Forest functions and space: a geohistorical perspective of European forests

“…The appearance of the socalled "new rurals" in recent years, i.e., people who return to live and work in mountain areas, perhaps devoting themselves to niche and certified products, integrated with sustainable tourism activities, is part of the same phenomena (Dematteis 2011). Many studies suggest that exposure to a forest environment reduces the stress induced by modern society and has a restorative function (Kaplan 1995, Shin et al 2012. As suggested both by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA 2003(MA , 2005 and the CICES classification system (Haines-Young & Potschin 2011), we can therefore include the recreational function under a broader cultural service provided by the forest and defined as "nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic experiences".…”

Effects of Forest Therapy on Depressive Symptoms among Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Regarding the study design, 11 studies used a crossover trial design and only six of the studies [16,[18][19][20][21][22] used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Four out of six RCT design studies were conducted with adults with health problems.…”

“…For articles published in English, nine studies [12,19,21,22,25,28,29,34,39] used POMS to assess the level of depression and three studies [28,29,39] used Semantic differential (SD) method. Other scales used by the studies included the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression [20], Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) [16,20,24,31], positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) [34]. For studies published in Korean, the POMS [15,23,26,27,32,38] and BDI [13][14][15]17,18,35] were the most commonly used scale.…”