SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021
Effect of Forest Therapy on Depression and Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06601920 (A Study of Activity Leader to Forest Therapy Campaign in Different Environments Targets on the Participants Which Had Been Infected by SARS-COV-2), which is not on this map. Cited by 36 papers, 3 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.
A Study of Activity Leader to Forest Therapy Campaign in Different Environments Targets on the Participants Which Had Been Infected by SARS-COV-2
Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.
- Forest therapy for psychological stress and emotional disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- The influence of outdoor physical activity on the physical and mental health of college students: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled 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
- Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of forest walking compared to urban walking in enhancing mucosal immunity.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- The effect of personalized forest therapy programs on stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with depression.Frontiers in public health · 2025Trial
- Long-Term Effects of Mountain Hiking vs. Forest Therapy on Physical and Mental Health of Couples: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Trial
- Effects of Urban Forest Therapy Program on Depression Patients.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- The Applicability of Forest Therapy for Socially Isolated Young Adults: Parallel Changes in Psychological Distress and Mindfulness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Validating the Effectiveness of Forest Therapy Programs for Middle-Aged Korean Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analytic Approach.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Comparative analysis of physiological and psychological effects of viewing and drinking flower tea.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Composition of Diagnostic Assessment Sheet Items for Developing a Personalized Forest Therapy Program for Patients with Depression: Application of the Delphi Technique.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Ethics and action pathways for psychologists in a time of climate crisis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- Household-level surrounding greenspace as a nature-based intervention for health recovery after occupational injury.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Effects of forest bathing versus indoor gym exercise on exercise-related boredom: a randomized crossover trial with repeated measures.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Components and Application Plans for Designing a Korean Forest Therapy Prescription Model: Using Case Examination and a Focus Group Interview (FGI).Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Analysis of Program Activities to Develop Forest Therapy Programs for Improving Mental Health: Focusing on Cases in Republic of Korea.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Are Virtual Forests Just for Relaxation, or Can They Enhance the Benefits of Therapy?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Concussion and the Autonomic, Immune, and Endocrine Systems: An Introduction to the Field and a Treatment Framework for Persisting Symptoms.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
- Inflammation and depression: an evolutionary framework for the role of physical activity and exercise.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Review
- The feasibility of a two-day intensive forest therapy incorporating mindfulness practices for natural disaster-affected individuals: a brief report.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the effects of forest therapy on depression and anxiety using data obtained from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies. We searched SCOPUS, PubMed, MEDLINE(EBSCO), Web of science, Embase, Korean Studies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service, and DBpia to identify relevant studies published from January 1990 to December 2020 and identified 20 relevant studies for the synthesis. The methodological quality of eligible primary studies was assessed by ROB 2.0 and ROBINS-I. Most primary studies were conducted in the Republic of Korea except for one study in Poland. Overall, forest therapy significantly improved depression (Hedges's g = 1.133; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.491 to -0.775) and anxiety (Hedges's g = 1.715; 95% CI: -2.519 to -0.912). The quality assessment resulted in five RCTs that raised potential concerns in three and high risk in two. Fifteen quasi-experimental studies raised high for nine quasi-experimental studies and moderate for six studies. In conclusion, forest therapy is preventive management and non-pharmacologic treatment to improve depression and anxiety. However, the included studies lacked methodological rigor and required more comprehensive geographic application. Future research needs to determine optimal forest characteristics and systematic activities that can maximize the improvement of depression and anxiety.
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.