Forest Bathing can help Manage Stress and improve Wellness
A 500 word proposal outline for forest bathing programs to be held at public health centres.
Context and Wellness Intervention
Forest Bathing can help manage stress and improve wellness and wellbeing. Stress is a world-wide phenomenon, and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) ‘Stress and Trauma Snapshot’, reports that approximately 13% or 2.4 Million Australians aged over 18 reported high levels of psychological stress between 2016-2018. Of the 2.4 million people who reported stress, 15 % were women, and 11% were men. The numbers may be higher as stress may be underreported due to a multitude of trauma, lifestyle, and health factors that are interlinked (McEwan & Stellar, 1993). Stress can create a fight or flight response, causing neurologic and endocrinologic changes in the body which may lead to ill health, including increased risks for heart disease, lowered immunity, some cancers, diabetes, poor healing, digestive disorders, depression, anxiety, and other illnesses (AIHW, 2020). Good management of stress can address public health issues ‘upstream’ to reduce illness and improve wellness and wellbeing (Byeongsang, et al 2017).
Evidence of Effectiveness
Forest bathing increases relaxation and parasympathetic nervous activity, and decreases sympathetic nervous activity, thereby effectively reducing stress (Furuyashiki, et al 2019). Other benefits include: lowering of blood pressure (Ka-Yin Yau & Yuen Loke, 2020), lowering of cortisol levels (Kobayashi, et al., 2017), improved immune function, reduced pain levels (Jin-Whoo, et al., 2016., Peterfalvi, et al., 2021.,Youngran, et al 2021), and alleviating depression and anxiety (Byeongsang, et al., 2017., Furuyashiki, et al., 2019., Hansen, et al., 2021., Jin-Gun & Won-Sop, 2021; Mi-Jung, et al., 2022). Furthermore, in a meta-analysis of various studies (including those utilising the POMS scale survey), researchers reported the overall positive effects of forest bathing on Mental Health (Mi-Jung et al 2022).
Intervention Design and Implementation
A 12-Week Forest Bathing Program can be organised from Health Centres. Staff can utilise the following wellness tools to measure the client’s progress over time: The “Wellness Wheel” (University of New Hampshire, 2020), The “Holmes Rahe Stress Scale” (The American Institute of Stress, 2021), “The Perceived Stress Scale” (EAP, 1983), and the Profile of Mood States Survey” (Boyle et al, 2015). Additionally, the SPECIES model which stands for the Social, Physical, Emotional, Career, Intellectual, Environmental, and Spiritual domains of Wellness can be utilised for further client engagement and feedback (University of Wisconsin, 2022). Additional medical diagnostics may be carried out if required.
Excursions to Kunanyi / Mt Wellington, can be held each Saturday. Thirty minutes prior to departure participants can meet for a cuppa and fill in the Holmes Rahe Stress Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the POMS survey in a relaxed space. Staff can be available to assist with filling in forms if required. After forest bathing, participants can again share a cuppa and give written personal feedback on their experience using the SPECIES framework – not all areas will apply, however participants may choose the areas they wish to comment on. Participants will need to set aside 3 hours – 1.5 hours social and travel time included, and 1.5 hours for Forest Bathing. It is expected that people’s lived experiences and perceptions of stress, wellness and wellbeing will be improved over 12 weeks from participating in a supportive group setting. At the end of the program staff can collate the information they have received to evaluate the wellness outcomes of forest bathing for their clients, who may also wish to continue with their wellness goals at the centre, and at home at the conclusion of the program.
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2020). Stress and Trauma. Australian Government., Determinants of Health.
Boyle, G., Helmes, E., Matthews, G., Izard, C., (2015). Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs, Chapter 8 – Measures of Affect Dimensions., Academic Press., pages190-224. Retrieved from doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-386915-9.00008-5.
Byeongsang, O., Kyung Ju, L., Zaslawski, C., Yeung, A., & Rosenthal, D. (2017). Health and well-being benefits of spending time in forests: systematic review (Vol. 22). Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine; Dordrecht. doi:10.1186/s12199-017-0677-9
Furuyashiki, A., Tabuchi, K., Norikoshi, K., Kobayashi, T., & Oriyama , S. (2019). A comparative study of the physiological and psychological effects of forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on working age people with and without depressive tendencies (Vol. 24). Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine. Retrieved from 10.1186/s12199-019-0800-1
Jin-Gun, K., & Won-Sop, S. (2021). Forest Therapy Alone or with a Guide: Is There a Difference between Self-Guided Forest Therapy and Guided Forest Therapy Programs? (Vol. 18:13). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi:10.3390/ijerph18136957
Jin-Whoo, H., Choi, H., Yo-Han, J., Chong-Hyeon, Y., & Jong-Min, W. (Mar 2016). The Effects of Forest Therapy on Coping with Chronic Widespread Pain: Physiological and Psychological Differences between Participants in a Forest Therapy Program and a Control Group (Vol. 12:3). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi:10.3390/ijerph13030255
Ka-Yin Yau, K., & Yuen Loke, A. (2020). Effects of forest bathing on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive adults: a review of the literature (Vol. 25). Environmental Health and Preventative Medicine: Dordrecht. doi:10.1186/s12199-020-00856-7
Kobayashi, H., Chorong, S., Harumi, I., Bum-Jin, P., & Juyoung, L. (2017). Population-Based Study on the Effect of a Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration (Vol. 14:8). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Retrieved from 10.3390/ijerph14080931
McEwan, BS., Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual. Mechanisms leading to disease. (Vol. 153:18). Archived Intern Med; Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8379800/
Mi-Jung, K., Hyun-Sun, K., & Ji-Yeon , K. (2022). Effects of Forest-Based Interventions on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (Vol. 19:8). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi:10.3390/ijerph19084884
State of New Hampshire Employee Assistance Program, (1983). Perceived Stress Scale. Retrieved from https://www.das.nh.gov/wellness/Docs/Percieved%20Stress%20Scale.pdf
The American Institute of Stress, (2021). The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. Retrieved from https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory
University of New Hampshire, (2020). Wellness Wheel. Retrieved from https://www.unh.edu/health/wellness-wheel
University of Wisconsin, School of Science and Wellness (2022). Seven Dimesnions of Wellness at UW – Stevens Point: SPECIES.
Youngran,C., Sunhee, L., Youngmi, J., & Kang, S. (2021). The Effects of Forest Therapy on Immune Function (Vol. 18:16 ). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. doi:10.3390/ijerph18168440