Effects of a Forest Meditation Therapy Program on Reducing Daily Stress and Promoting Coping

Background and objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a Self-compassion-based forest meditation therapy program in reducing daily stress and enhancing coping resources. Based on growing evidence supporting nature-based interventions for mental health, this program was designed to explore the effects of forest meditation therapy on stress, connectedness to nature, and self-compassion.Methods: Thirty participants (2 males, 28 females) recruited as adults (mean age 60 years) living in Seoul and Gyeonggi were assigned to experimental and control groups based on the order of enrollment. Two forest meditation therapy sessions were held between October and November 2023, with a two-week interval between sessions. Data were collected at three time points: before the intervention, after the first session, and after the second session. The primary measures included perceived stress, positive and negative affect, salivary cortisol levels, connectedness to nature, and self-compassion.Results: The experimental group showed significant reductions in perceived stress (F = 6.213, <i>p</i> = .007) and increases in positive affect compared to the control group (F = 3.556, <i>p</i> =.036). While negative affect significantly decreased in the experimental group (F = 5.509, <i>p</i> = .024), no significant difference was observed between the two groups. Cortisol levels significantly decreased in the experimental group post-intervention (z = -2.341, <i>p</i> = .019). Furthermore, the experimental group showed significant improvements in connectedness to nature (F = 6.205, <i>p</i> = .007) and a significant positive trend toward increased self-compassion compared to the control group (F = 4.046, <i>p</i> = .023).Conclusion: The Self-compassion-based Forest Meditation Therapy Program appears to be effective in managing stress and enhancing key coping resources such as connectedness to nature and self-compassion. These findings suggest that forest meditation therapy could serve as a valuable public health intervention for stress reduction. Future research with larger samples and extended follow-up periods is recommended to further explore its long-term benefits.