Forest Therapy and Health
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2024) | Viewed by 15217
Special Issue Editor
Interests: shinrin-yoku; forest medicine; mental health; stress reduction; landscape planning; environmental planning; forest management; regional promotion; post COVID-19 condition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue is a broad compilation of the benefits of forest therapy to human health. The rapid progress of urbanization and artificialization in recent years has led to increased levels of stress and caused various social problems, such as the spread of lifestyle-related diseases and depression—all of which have been further compounded by the emergence of COVID-19 and the associated post-COVID-19 condition. In recent years, researchers have been attempting to find ways to improve mental health and prevent lifestyle-related diseases with the help of environmental elements, such as through forest therapy (shinrin-yoku). Indeed, it is a well-known fact that spending time in nature, such as forests and green spaces, can help to reduce stress. However, as COVID-19 taught us, this is not always possible. Thus, investigating the health benefits of methods such as forest therapy is pivotal today. Our goal is for this Special Issue to share progress and new research on the improvement of antidepressants and recovery from post-COVID-19 conditions, as well as prevention of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity and hypertension through forest therapy (shinrin-yoku).
Prof. Dr. Takahide Kagawa
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- forest therapy
- shinrin-yoku
- green spaces
- urban park
- preventive medicine
- mental health
- stress reduction
- five sense stimulation
- lifestyle-related diseases
- depression
- post-COVID-19 condition
- diseases concomitant of COVID-19
- landscape planning
- environmental planning
- forest management
- regional promotion
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