Cancer, Depression, Mental Health Disorder, Neoplasms
Conditions
Keywords
Forest therapy, Forest healing, Cancer Survivors, Mental Health Disorder
Brief summary
The forest healing system is an important topic of alternative therapy in recent years. To investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, a two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples.
Detailed description
Introduction: Cancer's global impact persists, ranking among the top three causes of death in Taiwan. Despite improved survival rates after cancer surgery, negative emotions among patients remain a challenge. Post-cancer depression adversely affects treatment outcomes and overall quality of life. Forest therapy, a natural healing approach, has gained attention for its potential to reduce stress, mitigate negative emotions, and enhance well-being. Objectives: This study investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Additionally, the study explores the lasting emotional benefits of forest therapy. Methods: Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, this study is conducted at the Botanical Garden in Fushan, Taipei. Participants are cancer patients who are six months post-treatment. A two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples. A comparable location adjacent to Taipei Botanical Garden, excluding urban areas, is selected for comparison activities. Portable heart rhythm monitors track data, and saliva samples are analyzed for salivary α-amylase enzyme kinetics and cortisol concentrations. The study employs questionnaires including the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short (POMS2-A short), Beck Depression Inventory-Second edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the abbreviated Taiwan version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALForest Therapy
Forest healing activities are guided by professionals, allowing participants to engage in a two-hour sensory experience within the forest environment. This includes activities such as stacking leaves and stones, closing their eyes to listen to sounds, engaging in physical stretches, blindfolded tree identification, connecting with tree companions, creating earth mandalas, and partaking in tea ceremonies and sharing insights.
Sponsors
Taiwan Forestry Research Institute
Taipei City Hospital
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
36 Years to 82 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Over 20 year-old * Cancer patients finished cancer treatments more than 6 months (regardless hormone therapy) * Voluntary attendance
Exclusion criteria
* People who unable to walk for at least 120 minutes * People who still smoking, chewing betel nut or drinking alcohol (over five standard cups in any situation) * People who addicted to medicine * People who attend another clinical trial at the same time or in the follow-up period of an interventional trial * Pregnant women or breast feeding * Other conditions that participants unable to cooperate with
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| questionnaire: POMS2-A short (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short at Fushan botanical garden |
| questionnaire: POMS2-A short (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short at Taipei botanical garden |
| questionnaire: POMS2-A short (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short at urban region |
| questionnaire: BAI (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of The Beck Anxiety Inventory at Fushan botanical garden |
| questionnaire: BAI (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of The Beck Anxiety Inventory at Taipei botanical garden |
| questionnaire: BAI (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of The Beck Anxiety Inventory at urban region |
| questionnaire: BDI-II (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of The Beck Depression Inventory II at Fushan botanical garden |
| questionnaire: BDI-II (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of baseline The Beck Depression Inventory II at Taipei botanical garden |
| questionnaire: BDI-II (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of baseline The Beck Depression Inventory II at urban region |
| questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (Taiwan version) at Fushan botanical garden |
| questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (Taiwan version) at Taipei botanical garden |
| questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (Taiwan version) at urban region |
| physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of alpha-amylase activity in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at Fushan botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of alpha-amylase activity in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at Taipei botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of alpha-amylase activity in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at urban region |
| physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of cortisol concentration in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at Fushan botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of cortisol concentration in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at Taipei botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of cortisol concentration in salivary by using commercial kits (Salimetrics®) at urban region |
| physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of HRV by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure heart rate, heart rate variability (related to activities of the autonomic nervous system ANS), irregular heartbeats (IRRHB), and 5-minute continuous pulse wave at Fushan botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of HRV by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure heart rate, heart rate variability (related to activities of the autonomic nervous system ANS), irregular heartbeats (IRRHB), and 5-minute continuous pulse wave at Taipei botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of HRV by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure heart rate, heart rate variability (related to activities of the autonomic nervous system ANS), irregular heartbeats (IRRHB), and 5-minute continuous pulse wave at urban region |
| physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (Fushan botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of blood pressures by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) at Fushan botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (Taipei botanical garden) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of blood pressures by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) at Taipei botanical garden |
| physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (urban region) | per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention | Change of blood pressures by using wrist monitors (ANSWatch®) to measure blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) at urban region |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed