New Review Finds Forest Exposure May Ease Stress, Anxiety and Depression
A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Public Health says structured time in a forest can significantly reduce short-term stress, anxiety and depression. The findings are based on 25 controlled studies involving 1,876 participants and suggest that even a basic, low-cost activity, getting into nature, may help mental health. The article notes that this does not replace medical or psychological treatment for people who need it, but it reinforces the idea that environment affects the nervous system more than many people assume.
The review examined Japanese-style forest therapy, known as Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing. In the studies, participants were directly exposed to wooded environments and compared with control groups such as urban walking, resting indoors, usual care or being on a waiting list. The participants varied widely, including students, workers, healthy people, people with burnout, patients with depression or anxiety, people with post-traumatic stress, and people with various medical conditions.
Overall, forest therapy was associated with improvement in psychological distress. Stress showed a moderate to large benefit, while depression and anxiety also dropped significantly compared with controls. The effect on anxiety appeared slightly stronger than on depression, though the difference was not statistically significant. Longer programs, especially those lasting more than a week, produced greater stress improvement than very short exposures, and there was also a trend toward stronger effects on depression and anxiety with longer exposure.
The article says the likely explanations include a shift away from the body’s fight-or-flight response and toward parasympathetic calm, less mental overload than in cities, and soothing sensory inputs such as birdsong, leaves, daylight, greenery and natural smells. Group-based forest therapy may also help people who feel lonely or burned out. Still, the piece stresses the limits of the evidence: most studies measured outcomes immediately after the intervention, they could not be blinded, and most relied on questionnaires. Future research should add objective measures such as heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, cortisol, sleep and inflammation. The practical takeaway is that regular time in nature, even a quiet park or grove near home, may be a simple and accessible way to support mental well-being.
