Psychological Effects of Forest Healing Camps on Atopic Dermatitis and Their Families

Abstract

The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased globally, regardless of age, and preschool children with AD experience greater levels of atrophy, depression, and anxiety. A home with AD experiences considerable stress as well, which affects family life, parenting, and spousal relationships. The provision of forest healing has a positive effect on symptom improvement, psychological stability, and recovery from depression. This study aimed to investigate psychological changes by providing a forest healing camp for atopic children and their families. The RCMAS, which can measure a child’s anxiety, and the K-PSI-SF, which can measure parenting stress, were used as psychological scales. The results showed that the total RCMAS significantly decreased by 2.05 points before and after the forest camp. K-PSI-SF scores also decreased by 8.63 points before and after the forest camp. Both RCMAS and K-PSI-SF, before and after the two-night and three-day program, decreased significantly compared to the difference in their total scores before and after the one-night and two-day program. The anxiety of atopic children and the stress of parenting was found to have decreased through forest camps. We hope that the system and forest healing programs will be established to care for atopic children and their families.