Depression is a common serious mental health condition that can have negative personal and social consequences, and managing it is critical for treating depression patients. Forest therapy is emerging as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to improve mental health. However, although the effectiveness of forest therapy programs using forests far from the city has been proven, it is not well known that urban forests can be easily accessed in daily life. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of an urban forest therapy program on depression symptoms, sleep quality, and somatization symptoms of depression patients. To evaluate this, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was employed. A total of 47 depression patients participated in this study (22 in the urban forest therapy program group and 25 in the control group). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) were administered to each participant to assess the effects of the urban forest therapy program. The results of this study revealed that depression patients in the urban forest therapy program had significantly alleviated depression symptoms and improved sleep quality and somatization symptoms compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the possibility that the urban forest therapy program could be used as an effective non-pharmacological treatment to alleviate depression disorder.

Depression is considered a widespread mental health problem worldwide. Moreover, anxiety symptoms are very closely related to depression in patients, and it is known that the coexistence rate of depression and anxiety diagnosed simultaneously is high. Treatment and preventive management of depression and anxiety are essential for public health. Forest healing is attracting attention as a form of low-cost preventive medicine that is safe and has no side effects. However, although the physiological and psychological effects have been scientifically proven, it is insufficient to reveal a direct relationship between forest healing and depression. This study investigated the benefits of an urban forest healing program on depression and anxiety symptoms in depressive disorders. We employed a randomized controlled trial design. Forty-seven depressive patients were randomly divided into an urban forest healing program group and a control group. Measures included the Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. Our results revealed that the combination of general treatment and forest healing programs for patients with depression is more effective in improving depression and anxiety than routine treatment alone. We expect our work to serve as a starting point for more sophisticated research discussing the availability of non-pharmacological treatments in forest healing.

Depression is considered a widespread mental health problem worldwide. Moreover, anxiety symptoms are very closely related to depression patients, and it is known that the coexistence rate of depression and anxiety diagnosed simultaneously is high. Treatment and preventive management of depression and anxiety are essential for public health. Forest healing is attracting attention as a form of low-cost preventive medicine that is safe and has no side effects. However, although the physiological and psychological effects have been scientifically proven, it is insufficient to reveal a direct relationship between forest healing and depression. This study investigated the benefits of an urban forest healing program on depression and anxiety symptoms of depressive disorders. We employed a randomized controlled trial design. Forty-seven depression patients were randomly divided into an urban forest healing program group and a control group. Measures included the Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires. Our results revealed that the combination of general treatment and forest healing programs for patients with depression is more effective in improving depression and anxiety than routine treatment alone. We expect our work to serve as a starting point for more sophisticated research in discussing the availability of non-pharmacological treatments in forest healing.

Population aging is increasing demand for social services, and natural environments are increasingly recognized as health-promoting resources. Korea has institutionalized forest welfare as a national service system delivered through public facilities and a certified professional workforce. Its linkage with the statutory social service system nevertheless remains at an early stage, with few implementation frameworks grounded in the perspectives of those who would implement such a linkage. This study addressed that gap through a three-stage qualitative design—exploratory focus group interviews (FGIs), in-depth interviews with nine experts across four strata, and a follow-up FGI—with the data analyzed thematically. Experts converged on three target groups—socially isolated youth, middle-aged adults, and social workers—and showed that accessibility, though raised in every stratum, comprised four distinct barriers: psychological and informational, temporal and economic, organizational, and market-related. Social workers further occupied a dual position as both a channel for service dissemination and a population in need of the service. The resulting framework comprises three operational entities—support, delivery, and supply—across four dimensions: user characteristics, delivery system, service operation, and policy environment. Institutional foundations, target-group-differentiated accessibility, interagency collaboration, and a strengthened private supply base were identified as conditions for integration. By showing how a nationally institutionalized forest welfare system can be linked with statutory social services, the framework offers a reference for nature-based provision in other national contexts.

This paper proposes an implementation framework for the effective linkage and integration of forest welfare services within the social service system. Focus group interviews (FGIs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with experts in social and forest welfare, and key components were identified through thematic analysis. The findings identified socially isolated youths, middle-aged adults, and social workers as the primary target groups. Limited accessibility is a central challenge for socially isolated youth, necessitating a phased engagement approach. Middle-aged adults demonstrated a strong need for psychological recovery and social participation, yet faced constraints related to time, cost, and accessibility, underscoring the importance of community-based delivery. Social workers were identified as being at a high risk of burnout, and forest welfare services were recognized as potential preventive and complementary interventions. Based on these findings, an implementation framework comprising three core entities—support, delivery, and supply— was structured across four dimensions: user characteristics, delivery systems, service operations, and policy environments. The key conditions for effective integration include institutional foundations, accessibility enhancement, interagency collaboration, and expansion of the private service base. This study explores the potential for forest welfare services to evolve into sustainable components of the public social service system. Future research should empirically examine the causal mechanisms underlying associated health and social outcomes.

This study employed a mixed-methods design combining a survey of 167 social workers in Seoul and in-depth interviews with three social welfare experts to explore strategies for integrating forest welfare services into the social service system. The survey results showed a high willingness to participate in forest welfare services. Demand was high for psychological and emotional stability (29.3%) and recreation and leisure enhancement (26.0%). Among the expected benefits, stress relief and improvement of psychological health showed the highest response rate (38.9%), while guaranteed participation during working hours was identified as the most important support needed (51.5%). Expert interviews indicated that a legal and institutional foundation, evidence of service effectiveness, professional program development, and cooperation among relevant organizations are necessary for sustained service operation and integration into the social service system. Based on these findings, this study proposes four major strategies for service revitalization: establishing a legal and institutional foundation, securing policy and academic evidence, developing tailored service models reflecting target characteristics, and establishing inter-organizational cooperation. These findings provide baseline information for future pilot implementation, effectiveness evaluation, and institutionalization of forest welfare services for social workers.