SynthesisInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
Does Forest Therapy Have Physio-Psychological Benefits? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
Synthesis in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Depression and lifestyle: Focusing on nutrition, exercise, and their possible relevance to molecular mechanisms.Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2023Pooled it
- Randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of forest walking compared to urban walking in enhancing mucosal immunity.Scientific reports · 2025Trial
- Forest Bathing (Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Outdoor Natural Versus Built Experiments: A Scoping Review and Methodological Recommendations for Psychological Science.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Forest Therapy Trails: Development and Application of an Assessment Protocol.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- 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
- Interplay among Anxiety, Digital Environmental Exposure, and Cognitive Control: Implications of Natural Settings.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Nature-based experience in Venetian lagoon: Effects on craving and wellbeing in addict residential inpatients.Frontiers in psychology · 2024Article
- Psychological aspects of rehabilitation nutrition: A position paper by the Japanese Association of Rehabilitation Nutrition (secondary publication).Journal of general and family medicine · 2024Article
- Interactions between root endophytic microorganisms and the reduced negative ion release capacity ofFrontiers in plant science · 2024Article
- Benefits of Urban Forest Healing Program on Depression and Anxiety Symptoms in Depressive Patients.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Effects of Plant-Emitted Monoterpenes on Anxiety Symptoms: A Propensity-Matched Observational Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Forest therapy involves visiting forests or conducting forest-based treatment activities to improve one's health. Studies have investigated the health benefits of forests, but consensus has not been reached. This study comprised a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine how forest therapy affects the physiological and psychological health of adults. The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, and Medline databases were searched on 31 August 2021. Systematic review and meta-analysis, risk evaluation, GRADE evaluation, and advertisement effect evaluation were performed for each article. The effect size was calculated by dividing blood pressure as a physiological indicator and depression as a psychological indicator. Of the 16,980 retrieved studies, 17 were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Of these, eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. The effect size of forest therapy on improving systolic and diastolic blood pressure was not significant; however, it significantly reduced depression. While the results have limited generalizability due to the inclusion of few studies, the effects of forest therapy on reducing depression have been confirmed. Since the application of forest therapy was heterogeneous in these studies, a moderator effect analysis or subgroup analysis in meta-analysis should be performed in the future.
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.