NCT05743920

Self-help Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Efficacy of Self-help Forest Bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 80 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The objective of this pilot randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of self-help forest bathing on depression, anxiety, and stress in the Hong Kong adult population. Prior to all study procedures, eligible participants will be required to complete an online informed consent form (with telephone support). Around 80 eligible participants aged between 18 to 65 years old with at least a mild level of depression, anxiety, or stress symptoms will be randomly assigned to either the self-help forest bathing intervention group (FB group) or the waitlist control group (WL group) in a ratio of 1:1. Participants in the FB group will receive forest bathing guidance via an in-house smartphone app. The WL group will be asked to maintain their typical activity in week 1-7. This group will receive the guide upon trial completion in week 8. The outcomes of the interest will include generalized anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, wellbeing, health-related quality of life, functional impairment at baseline (week 0), immediate (week 7), and 1-month post-intervention assessments (week 10). Treatment credibility and acceptability will be collected at baseline and immediately after the intervention.

Conditions

• Depression, Anxiety
• Stress

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Self-help Forest Bathing	The self-help forest bathing includes two sessions (i.e., participants will perform the first intervention within week 1 to 3, and the second intervention within week 4 to 6) that are related to the following forest bathing activities : (a) forest meditation, (b) forest walking, (c) calling attention to sensory experiences of the forest, including seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling, and (d) building connection to the nature by partnership invitation. Each session will last for 45 minutes.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-02-01
• Primary completion: 2023-12-01
• Completion: 2023-12-01
• First posted: 2023-02-24
• Last updated: 2023-02-24