The evidence for stress recovery in forest therapy programs: investigating whether forest walking and guided forest therapy activities have the same potential?

• Published in: Journal of forestry research Vol. 36; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Guo, Desheng, Xu, Tong, Luo, Jing, Wang, Xin, Lin, Shengyu, Lin, Chiamin, Hong, Yuwei, Chang, Weiyin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01.12.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: anxiety; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biophilia; Colleges & universities; Effectiveness; Forestry; Forests; human health; Life Sciences; Original Paper; Physical activity; Recovery; Stress; Students; therapeutics; Therapy; University students; Anxiety reduction; Urban forestry; Nature connectedness; Perceived restorativeness; Mediation; Campus forest
• ISSN: 1993-0607; 1007-662X; 1993-0607
• DOI: 10.1007/s11676-024-01812-9

In recent years, forest therapy has become a popular method for improving human health. However, guided forest therapy is not always easily accessible, and forest walking is a more convenient and feasible alternative. Therefore, it is important to determine whether forest walking has the same effect as guided forest therapy. To investigate this, we conducted a campus forest-based study in which 247 university students were randomly assigned to participate in either forest walking or guided forest therapy activities. The study measured physical and psychological interventions in participants, while controlling for the intensity of physical activity. The findings indicated that both approaches were effective in promoting stress relief and physical and mental recovery among university students. No significant difference in effectiveness was observed between the two approaches. Furthermore, we constructed a mediation model that combines the biophilia hypothesis, stress reduction theory, and attention restoration theory to investigate the psychological mechanisms underlying the restorative effects of forest activities. Our findings indicate that an increase in nature connectedness significantly predicts a reduction in state anxiety. This effect is mediated by perceived restorativeness and a combination chain of mediators from perceived restorativeness to mood. This study presents a justification for selecting forest walking as a means of stress relief when guided forest therapy is unavailable. Additionally, it enhances our comprehension of how forests contribute to the restorative effects experienced by individuals.