A Feasibility Study to Determine Whether the Botanical Garden Become a Region of Forest Therapy for Cancer Survivors

NCT ID: NCT06001723

Last Updated: 2025-06-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 50 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-08-04
• Study Completion Date: 2023-01-20

Brief Summary

The forest healing system is an important topic of alternative therapy in recent years. To investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, a two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples.

Detailed Description

Introduction:

Cancer's global impact persists, ranking among the top three causes of death in Taiwan. Despite improved survival rates after cancer surgery, negative emotions among patients remain a challenge. Post-cancer depression adversely affects treatment outcomes and overall quality of life. Forest therapy, a natural healing approach, has gained attention for its potential to reduce stress, mitigate negative emotions, and enhance well-being.

Objectives:

This study investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Additionally, the study explores the lasting emotional benefits of forest therapy.

Methods:

Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, this study is conducted at the Botanical Garden in Fushan, Taipei. Participants are cancer patients who are six months post-treatment. A two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples. A comparable location adjacent to Taipei Botanical Garden, excluding urban areas, is selected for comparison activities. Portable heart rhythm monitors track data, and saliva samples are analyzed for salivary α-amylase enzyme kinetics and cortisol concentrations. The study employs questionnaires including the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short (POMS2-A short), Beck Depression Inventory-Second edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the abbreviated Taiwan version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF).

Conditions

Neoplasms; Cancer; Mental Health Disorder; Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SEQUENTIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Forest Therapy

This is a pretest-posttest designed experiment. A two-hour guided forest healing activity was used as an intervention method. For the purpose of comparison, an urban area adjacent to the Taipei Botanical Garden, specifically the Wanhua district, was selected. This choice ensures the exclusion of extensive green spaces commonly used for walking.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Forest Therapy

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Forest healing activities are guided by professionals, allowing participants to engage in a two-hour sensory experience within the forest environment. This includes activities such as stacking leaves and stones, closing their eyes to listen to sounds, engaging in physical stretches, blindfolded tree identification, connecting with tree companions, creating earth mandalas, and partaking in tea ceremonies and sharing insights.

Interventions

Forest Therapy

Forest healing activities are guided by professionals, allowing participants to engage in a two-hour sensory experience within the forest environment. This includes activities such as stacking leaves and stones, closing their eyes to listen to sounds, engaging in physical stretches, blindfolded tree identification, connecting with tree companions, creating earth mandalas, and partaking in tea ceremonies and sharing insights.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Over 20 year-old
• Cancer patients finished cancer treatments more than 6 months (regardless hormone therapy)
• Voluntary attendance

Exclusion Criteria

• People who unable to walk for at least 120 minutes
• People who still smoking, chewing betel nut or drinking alcohol (over five standard cups in any situation)
• People who addicted to medicine
• People who attend another clinical trial at the same time or in the follow-up period of an interventional trial
• Pregnant women or breast feeding
• Other conditions that participants unable to cooperate with

• Minimum Eligible Age: 36 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 82 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Taiwan Forestry Research Institute

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Taipei City Hospital

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Chung-Hua Hsu

director of the hospital

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Chung-Hua Hsu, MD. PHD.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Branch of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital

Locations

Taipei city hospital

Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

Countries

Taiwan

Other Identifiers

TCHIRB-11104010

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id