Are Virtual Forests Just for Relaxation, or Can They Enhance the Benefits of Therapy?
Abstract
Forest bathing (Shinrin-Yoku in Japanese) is used as an intervention for improving mental health, with VR being used to create virtual forests for relaxation. BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: In this research, we added therapeutic intent to a virtual forest with the goal of reducing social anxiety, with and without therapeutic instruction. METHODS: Fifty-eight first-year psychology students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: virtual forest only, therapeutic exercises only, and both combined. RESULTS: All three conditions enhanced restorative effects equally. However, only the therapeutic exercise-only condition showed a tendency to reduce social anxiety. Participants in the combined condition reported more positive experiences and showed better comprehension of therapy content in the virtual forest. CONCLUSIONS: While the non-VR approach may offer immediate relaxation and possible anxiety reduction, combining the virtual forest with therapeutic exercises may yield better outcomes for sustained engagement and understanding over multiple therapeutic sessions.
Authors: You Zhi Hu, Max Beggs, Yu Xue, Sinuo Gao, Junyoung Seok, Yawen Xiao, Ziqi Zhou, Yifei Zhou, Alex T. Mariakakis, Mark Chignell
Published in: Healthcare (2025)