Effects of a forest therapy camp on cancer survivors’ stress, mood and natural killer cells in Korea

초록

Purpose: This study investigated changes in psychological and physiological indices in cancer survivors who participated in a forest therapy camp in Korea. Methods: A total of 37 cancer survivors (19 and 18 in the experimental and control groups, respectively) participated in this study. Over a 2-night and 3-day period, the participants in the experimental group took part in a forest therapy camp that included activities such as gymnastics, walking, five-senses experiences, and meditation. Both groups completed self-report questionnaires that measured their stress levels and profile of mood states, both before and after the forest therapy camp. Blood samples were collected to measure the levels of corti-sol, serotonin, and natural killer (NK) cells. Results: After the forest therapy camp, the experimental group exhibited reduced stress levels (p = .031) and a significant improvement in total mood distur-bance (p = . 047) when compared with the control group. The level of serotonin also significantly increased (p < .001). However, in contrast to the prediction, a significant increase in cortisol was noted in the experimental group relative to the control group (p = .016). Moreover, no significant difference in NK cells was noted between the two groups. Conclusion: Forest therapy can be easily applied to cancer survivors. The positive psychological effects of the forest therapy camp were confirmed by im-provements in stress and mood states and the increased level of serotonin in forest therapy camp par-ticipants. However, there is a need for a follow-up evaluation of cortisol and NK cells due to the absence of significant between-group differences. © 2024 Korean Society of Biological Nursing Science.

키워드