The best way to conference proceedings by Francis Academic Press

Web of Proceedings - Francis Academic Press
Web of Proceedings - Francis Academic Press

The Prospects for the Application of Forest Therapy in Urban Environments

Download as PDF

DOI: 10.25236/icfmhss.2024.114

Author(s)

Yu Zhang

Corresponding Author

Yu Zhang

Abstract

As urbanization progresses, the problem of an aging population becomes increasingly severe, and the continuous negative impact of urban environmental pollution on individual physical and mental health, forest therapy as a natural healing method has received growing attention. This therapy not only effectively alleviates stress but has also been proven to have significant benefits for physical and psychological health. In urban environments, the application prospects of forest therapy are particularly broad, offering city dwellers a natural space to escape daily life stress and restore their health. With deepening research into the health benefits of forests, interest in this area continues to grow. Internationally, research on forests and human health mainly focuses on the positive effects of the forest environment on blood pressure, stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, among other physiological and mental health issues, using empirical methods. Domestic research, however, tends to explore more on the theoretical basis of forest health preservation, assessing the potential of forest resources, building forest health bases, and the development of the forest health industry. This article summarizes the progress of forest health research both domestically and internationally, organizes the current development status of forest health preservation in China, and looks forward to the key points and directions for future research. Particularly, it discusses the implementation strategies and potential applications of forest therapy in urban environments, indicating that this natural therapy will play an increasingly important role in urban healthy living in the future.

Keywords

Forest therapy, Physiological, Psychological, Urban environment