Living lab modelling as a pilot study assessing the potential psychological health benefits of forest environment for cancer survivors

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the physiological and psychological changes in cancer survivors who engage in repeated forest therapy in a living environment.Methods This study included stay-based forest therapy for female cancer survivors aged ≥40 years. The program was conducted in two cycles, each spanning 3 weeks and consisting of a 2-night, 3-day stay, followed by daily life integration. The cycles were repeated from July 2, 2022, to August 18, 2022. Participant assessment included standard physical health parameters and a questionnaire on general characteristics, lifestyle habits, stress levels, and health status.Results Thirty-seven female cancer survivors participated in the forest healing program, 56.8% of whom had a history of breast cancer. The median body mass index (BMI) was 23.80 kg/m² (range, 21.00-25.60). More than half of the patients reported mild-to-moderate fatigue, chronic pain, and mild-to-moderate depression (81%, 65%, and 73%, respectively). After two cycles of forest therapy, no significant differences were observed in terms of fatigue, pain, or BMI levels. However, significant improvements were found in quality of life measures, particularly the psychological quality of life (mean score 12.54 at baseline vs. 13.48 after cycle 2; <i>P</i>=0.007). Positive improvements were also observed in terms of stress (mean score 17.03 vs. 13.76; <i>P</i>=0.002) and depression (mean score 8.35 vs. 6.11; <i>P</i>=0.002) levels.Conclusion Our forest-healing program demonstrated that nature-based therapies improve the mental health and quality of life of female cancer survivors, suggesting the need for further research on nature-based interventions to better support cancer survivors.