General Population (no Specific Condition or Disease)
Conditions
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.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALActive forest therapy
Participants take part in a two-hour active clinical forest therapy in Berlin-Wannsee on two days (with a break day in between). In this setting, a trained clinical forest therapist teaches exercises on the perception of nature and the connection between nature and health.
BEHAVIORALPassive forest therapy
Participants take part in a two-hour passive clinical forest therapy in Berlin-Wannsee over two days (with a break day in between). In this setting, a trained clinical forest therapist will guide participants to various locations in the forest where participants can stay and let nature have its effect on them.
Sponsors
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
\- Ability to Consent
Exclusion criteria
* Serious acute or chronic illness * Immobility or limitation of mobility due to orthopedic, neurologic, or other medical causes * Participation in another study * Serious mental illness * Pregnancy and lactation.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Profile of Mood States (POMS) | Change from baseline POMS score at 3 months |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Profile of Mood States (POMS) | Baseline, day 1, day 3, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| Perceived Benefits of Nature Questionnaire (PBNQ) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| Subjective Vitality Scale state (SVS-G state) | Baseline, day 1, day 3, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| Complaint List (B-LR) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| Perceive Stress Questionaire (PSQ) | Baseline, day 1, day 3, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| Freiburger Fragebogen zur Achtsamkeit (FFA) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | — |
| State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) | Baseline, day 1, day 3, 1 week, 3 months | The scale ranges from 1 to 8. Higher scores correspond to higher levels of anxiety (after recoding three inverted items). |
| PROMIS Scale v1.2 - Global Health | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | The scale ranges from 1 to 5, where 1 is the lowest level and 5 is the highest level. Higher scores reflect better functioning. |
| Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | The scale ranges from 0 to 3. Higher scores correspond to higher levels of anxiety and/or depression. |
| Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | The scale ranges from 0 to 4. Higher scores correspond to higher levels of perceived stress. |
| Allgemeine Selbstwirksamkeit Kurzskala (ASKU) | Baseline, 1 week, 3 months | The scale ranges from 1 to 5. Higher scores correspond to better outcomes. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Heart Rate Variability (HRV) | Baseline, 1 week | 24h measuring by Faros 180 |
| Qualitative interviews | 1 week and 8 weeks after inclusion | Qualitative assessment will be carried out in qualitative interviews in 20 patients participating in the study. The interviews will be recorded, transcribed and analyzed with qualitative content analysis. |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed