Urban residents have a higher risk of hypertension and psychological stress than rural residents. Aside from medical interventions, understanding how to control hypertension and alleviate the stress of urban populations has become a public concern. As an alternative medical measure, forest therapy has shown the effects of normalizing blood pressure (BP) and reducing stress increasingly in recent literature, but this is still inconclusive. In order to systematically verify forest therapy’s effects on the BP and mental stress of urban residents, we conducted meta-analyses to assess the changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and salivary cortisol concentration (SCC; a stress biomarker) between the forest therapy group and urban control group. We searched 4 online databases, and 21 studies on BP involving 2270 participants and 13 studies on SCC involving 1786 participants were included. Through the meta-analysis, the mean difference and confidence interval (CI) estimates indicated that forest therapy significantly reduced participants’ SBP −3.44 (95% CI −5.74, −1.14), DBP −3.07 (95% CI −5.59, −0.54), and SCC −0.07 (95% CI −0.10, −0.04), as compared with urban control. Yet, there was substantial heterogeneity (I² = 72.87–88.59%) among these studies. We also found that each prediction interval (PI) for SBP (95% PI −13.30, 6.42), DBP (95% PI −15.54, 9.41), and SCC (95% PI −0.18, 0.05) were all much wider than the CIs and contained values above 0. This means that forest therapy may reduce SBP, DBP, and SCC on average, but may not exclude adverse results. Meta-regression analyses showed that participants’ age and baseline SBP levels determined the heterogeneity among SBP studies. After forest therapy, older participants and those with higher baseline SBP levels had greater SBP-lowering effects. Among DBP studies, the primary source of heterogeneity was participants’ baseline DBP levels; participants with higher baseline DBP levels had greater DBP reduction. In subgroup analyses, we discovered that longer-term forest therapy programs (≥20 min) resulted in a greater reduction in BP and SCC than shorter-term forest therapy programs (<20 min). Additionally, seated viewing, walking, or multi-session programs in forests were observed to have similar effects on reducing BP and SCC. Despite extensive analyses, the study did not identify any sources of heterogeneity among forest therapy programs for lowering SCC levels. Overall, we conclude that forest therapy programs have beneficial therapeutic effects on urban residents’ physio-psychological health through lowering BP and relieving stress (reducing SCC). This finding provides solid evidence of the contribution of forest therapy to urban residents’ health and wellbeing.

Controlling the variability in mat structure and properties in bamboo scrimber (BS) is key to producing the product for structural applications, and wide strip scrimber (WBS) is an effective approach. In this study, the effects of scrimmed bamboo bundle morphology and product density on the properties of WBS were investigated. WBS panels were manufactured and tested using wide (200 to 250 mm) bamboo strips with different fiberization intensity. Maximum strength properties (flexural, compressive, and shear strength), and lowest thickness swelling and water absorption were achieved with three or four passes due to the higher resin absorption by strips. For balanced product cost and performance, we recommend 1–2 fiberization passes and a panel density of 0.9–1.0 g/cm³. Panel mechanical properties were compared with other common bamboo composites. Bamboo scrimber products were highly variable in properties due to differing manufacturing processes, element treatments, and suboptimal mat structure. Products including laminated bamboo lumber and flattened bamboo made from nonfiberized elements show markedly different relationships between strength and elastic properties mostly due to inadequate bonding between the laminae, which causes premature bond-line failure. This study helped improve the understanding of the structure–property relationship of engineered bamboo products while providing insights into process optimization.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dynamic and static forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku) on the physiological and psychological health of males and females. Dynamic pre-test and post-test forest bathing was performed on 11 participants (5 males and 6 females) as a single group in a forest environment. In addition, a randomized controlled trial involving 20 participants (10 males and 10 females) was conducted to evaluate static forest bathing in both forest and urban environments. Various physiological indicators, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse, heart rate variability (HRV), and self-assessed psychological indicators such as profile of mood states, were measured. Dynamic forest bathing resulted in a significant increase in the natural logarithmic value of the high frequency (lnHF) of HRV and significantly decreased ratio of the natural logarithmic value of the low frequency (lnLF) to lnHF (lnLF/lnHF) of HRV. Static forest bathing not only had the effects of dynamic forest bathing but also significantly decreased the participants’ SBP, DBP, and pulse. Both dynamic and static forest bathing enhanced human parasympathetic nervous system activity and reduced sympathetic nervous system activity, particularly affecting females. Negative mood state scores (tension, anger, fatigue, depression, and confusion) and total mood disturbance scores significantly decreased after forest bathing. In contrast, positive mood state (vigor) scores significantly increased, indicating an enhancement in positive mood. These improvements in mood were particularly pronounced in male individuals. Short-term exposure to a forest environment has positive effects on both physical and mental health of individuals. The extent of these improvements varied according to factors such as engagement in physical activity and gender.

With the growing pressures of modern society, physical and mental health issues have emerged as critical global concerns. Forest therapy (FT), a novel health management model that integrates natural environments with physical and mental healing, has gained increasing attention in recent years. However, mainstream FT approaches often overlook the psychological value of interpersonal interaction. Building upon traditional FT, this study proposes a new framework called companionship-based forest therapy (CBFT), which emphasizes the importance of emotional support within natural settings. CBFT is not intended as a replacement for conventional FT, but rather as an optimized approach that enhances its therapeutic effects by incorporating the element of companionship. This study aims to evaluate the physiological and psychological benefits of a novel intervention model—companion-based forest therapy (CBFT)—compared to conventional forest therapy models. Grounded in psychological theories and supported by empirical analysis, this study presents an applied framework of CBFT grounded in established psychological theories and validates its effectiveness through a comparative intervention involving 30 college students. Interpreted from the perspectives of ecological and humanistic psychology, the results indicate that CBFT significantly improves emotional regulation, reduces physiological stress responses, and enhances overall mental well-being. These findings highlight the value of social connection in FT practices and offer new directions for the development and application of forest therapy.

The aim of this review is to investigate the impacts of various forest therapy activities on the physical and mental health of college students. Additionally, it evaluates the research methodologies and existing issues in current studies, providing an important agenda for future research. Research was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The findings suggest significant effects of forest therapy activities on the physiology and psychology of college students, notably improving the cardiovascular system, enhancing the immune system, boosting emotional well-being, alleviating job-related stress, and enhancing academic performance. This study further clarifies forest therapy as an emerging and effective intervention to reduce stress levels among college students, particularly when carried out continuously in easily accessible campus forest environments. Such therapeutic activities could serve as a component of daily stress-relieving programs for college students. This assessment offers valuable information for college students, educational institutions, and policymakers to promote the development of forest therapy on university campuses. However, some of the studies included in this investigation lacked methodological rigor. Future research should employ rigorous study designs to assess the long-term impacts of various forest therapy approaches on the mental and physical health of college students and identify the primary influencing factors. This will aid in determining suitable content, forms, and strategies for forest therapy projects tailored to college students, thereby maximizing the potential benefits of forest therapy on their mental and physical well-being.