Abstract
To explore the effects of different types of forest environments for forest therapy, this study focused on forest resting environments. Seven representative forest resting environments found in field research in Beijing were used as independent variables and were shown to subjects by a virtual reality (VR) video. Stress level was used as the dependent variable, and blood pressure, heart rate, salivary amylase, and the Brief Profile of Mood States (BPOMS) were used as physiological and psychological indicators. A between-subjects design was used in the experiment. A total of 96 subjects were randomly assigned to each environment type, and only one type of forest resting environment was observed. Through the relevant sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance, the pre- and post-test data of the indicators were analyzed. This study found that all the seven different types of forest resting environments can produce stress relief effects to some extent. Different types of forest resting environments have different effects on relieving stress. The most natural environment does not have the most significant effect on stress relief. A water landscape has a positive effect on the relief of stress. The conclusions of this study are conducive to the better use of the forest environment for forest therapy services.
Highlights
IntroductionMore and more studies have proved that the natural environment can promote people’s physical and mental health [1,2,3,4]
Studies based on the physiological effects of relaxation in the forest environment have shown that rest in the forest can reduce cerebral blood flow in the pre-frontal cortex [5], lower blood pressure and heart rate [21,22], increase parasympathetic activity, inhibit sympathetic activity [14,15,20,21], reduce salivary cortisol stress hormone concentrations [21,22], and enhance the activity of natural killer cells and anticancer proteins [6,23] to improve immune function
This study focused on the impact of different types of forest resting environments on human stress levels
Summary
More and more studies have proved that the natural environment can promote people’s physical and mental health [1,2,3,4]. The forest environment has been shown to be effective in relieving stress and depression and in giving psychological relief [17,18,19,20]. Studies based on the physiological effects of relaxation in the forest environment have shown that rest in the forest can reduce cerebral blood flow in the pre-frontal cortex [5], lower blood pressure and heart rate [21,22], increase parasympathetic activity, inhibit sympathetic activity [14,15,20,21], reduce salivary cortisol stress hormone concentrations [21,22], and enhance the activity of natural killer cells and anticancer proteins [6,23] to improve immune function
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