SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2017
Effects of Forest Therapy on Depressive Symptoms among Adults: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 73 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effectiveness of MIND Diet and Forest Bathing on Reducing Psychological Stress Among Older Chinese: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Nature-based Therapy Program for Sustainable Health in Parkinson's Disease (PARC Project) - A Clinical Trial
Nature-based Intervention Program for Sustainable Health in Older People Living With Chronic Non-specific Lower Back Pain (PARC Project 2) - A Feasibility Trial
Who cites it
73 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Nature-based interventions: a systematic review of reviews.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Does Forest Therapy Have Physio-Psychological Benefits? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Effects of Forest-Based Interventions on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- What Activities in Forests Are Beneficial for Human Health? A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The Effects of Forest Therapy on Immune Function.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Nature's Role in Outdoor Therapies: An Umbrella Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- The Psychological and Physical Effects of Forests on Human Health: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Pooled it
- Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2021Pooled it
- Medical empirical research on forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku): a systematic review.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of biometeorology · 2019Pooled it
- Within What Distance Does "Greenness" Best Predict Physical Health? A Systematic Review of Articles with GIS Buffer Analyses across the Lifespan.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017Pooled it
- A comprehensive evaluation of the health benefits of forest therapy for cancer survivors.Environmental health and preventive medicine · 2026Trial
- Scenting serenity: influence of essential-oil vaporization on dental anxiety - a cluster-randomized, controlled, single-blinded study (AROMA_dent).Scientific reports · 2024Trial
- Relaxation Effect of Nature Sound Exposure on Gambling Disorder Patients: A Crossover Study.Journal of integrative and complementary medicine · 2023Trial
- Benefits of a Three-Day Bamboo Forest Therapy Session on the Physiological Responses of University Students.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Trial
- The Effects of a Forest Therapy Programme on Mental Hospital Patients with Affective and Psychotic Disorders.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Trial
- An Exploratory Study on the Effects of Forest Therapy on Sleep Quality in Patients with Gastrointestinal Tract Cancers.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Trial
- Effects of Walking in a Forest on Young Women.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Trial
- The Effects of a Health Promotion Program Using Urban Forests and Nursing Student Mentors on the Perceived and Psychological Health of Elementary School Children in Vulnerable Populations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2018Trial
13 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This study systematically reviewed forest therapy programs designed to decrease the level of depression among adults and assessed the methodological rigor and scientific evidence quality of existing research studies to guide future studies. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The authors independently screened full-text articles from various databases using the following criteria: (1) intervention studies assessing the effects of forest therapy on depressive symptoms in adults aged 18 years and older; (2) studies including at least one control group or condition; (3) peer-reviewed studies; and (4) been published either in English or Korean before July 2016. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network measurement tool was used to assess the risk of bias in each trial. In the final sample, 28 articles (English: 13, Korean: 15) were included in the systematic review. We concluded that forest therapy is an emerging and effective intervention for decreasing adults' depression levels. However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor. Future studies assessing the long-term effect of forest therapy on depression using rigorous study designs are needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.