Effects of Forest Therapy on Physical and Psychological Parameters in the General Population

NCT05338372 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: KWT1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 178
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In recent years, nature and forest therapy has increasingly become the focus of medical research. Recent scientific findings indicate overall positive effects of nature and forest therapy on physical and mental health. In Asia and Australia, it has already been implemented as a public health concept of prevention and health promotion. The aim of the project is to replicate the experience gained in Asia over the last three decades on the physical and psychological effects of nature/forest therapy in the context of the German forest and to investigate it further scientifically.

Conditions

General Population

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Profile of Mood States (POMS)

  Assessing full scale, range 1-7, lower score meaning a better outcome

  Change from baseline POMS score at 3 days

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Perceived Benefits of Nature Questionnaire (PBNQ)

  Change from baseline PBNQ score at 3 days

• Subjective Vitality Scale state (SVS-G state)

  Change from baseline SVS-G score at 3 days

• Complaint List (B-LR)

  Change from baseline B-LR score at 3 days

• Perceive Stress Questionaire (PSQ)

  Change from baseline PSQ score at 3 days

• State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)

  Change from baseline STAI score at 3 days

Study Arms (2)

Two days forest therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Two days forest therapy

Three days forest therapy

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Three days forest therapy

Interventions

Two days forest therapy BEHAVIORAL

Participants attend two days (with a break day in between) of two-hour forest therapy at the Friedrichsruh, Barntrup or Wernigerode sites, led by an INFTA-certified forest therapy guide.

Two days forest therapy

Three days forest therapy BEHAVIORAL

Participants attend three days of two-hour forest therapy at the Friedrichsruh, Barntrup or Wernigerode sites, led by an INFTA-certified forest therapy guide.

Three days forest therapy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 90 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Women and men aged 18 to 90 years.
• Capacity to consent

You may not qualify if:

• Serious acute or chronic medical conditions
• Immobility or limitation of mobility due to orthopedic, neurological or other medical causes
• Participation in another study
• Serious mental illness
• Pregnancy and lactation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Charite University, Berlin, Germany: lead

Study Sites (1)

Charite University

Berlin, 14109, Germany

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Forest Therapy

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Relaxation Therapy; Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 11, 2022
• First Posted: April 21, 2022
• Study Start: May 2, 2022
• Primary Completion: June 4, 2022
• Study Completion: June 4, 2022
• Last Updated: October 13, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-10

Locations

DE (1)