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

Berlin

2025

16 S.

Sonderdruck

40005676

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.
Keywords: Urban forestry · Campus forest · Anxiety reduction · Nature connectedness · Perceived restorativeness · Mediation