Journal of Forest and Environmental Science

Institute of Forest Science, kangwon National University (강원대학교 산림과학연구소)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Combined Forest/Thermal Therapy on Depressive Symptoms in Individuals with Alcohol and Nicotine Dependency

  • Sunhee Lee (Department of Nursing, Daewon University) ;
  • Heeju Ro (Department of Forest Management, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Jungkee Choi (Division of Forest Science, College of Forest and Environmental Sciences, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Youngran Chae (College of Nursing, Kangwon National University) ;
  • Soyeon Kim (Department of Forest Healing, College of Human Service, Catholic Kwandong University)
  • Received : 2023.07.31
  • Accepted : 2023.11.22
  • Published : 2023.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study verified the effect of a combined forest/thermal therapy (FT/TT) program on participants with depressive symptoms and smoking or alcohol dependence. The participants included 20 people in the experimental group and 18 people in the control group. The experimental group participated in the FT/TT program for 2 nights and 3 days at the National Center for Forest Healing, in Hoengseong (National Hoengseong Supchewon), and a charcoal kiln operated by the Gangwon Charcoal Farming Association. The control group carried out their daily life for the same period. Psychological, physiological, and biochemical tests were conducted to determine the effect of the program. The results showed that there were significant improvements in stress, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, sleep satisfaction, and IL-6 levels. However, no significant difference was found in the cortisol, serotonin and melatonin levels between the experimental and control groups. Thus, the FT/TT therapy had psychological and biochemical effects on individuals with depression and nicotine or alcohol dependency. Further studies should be conducted to verify the effect of forest healing in various conditions.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was carried out with the support of 'R&D Program for Forest Science Technology (Project No. C1015831-01-03)' provided by Korea Forest Service (Korea Forestry Promotion Institute).

References

  1. Arita H. 2010. 5 Minutes in the Morning for Happiness. Midasbooks, Seoul.
  2. Arita H. 2011. Serotonin 100% Activation Method. Firforest, Seoul.
  3. Bondy B, Erfurth A, de Jonge S, Kruger M, Meyer H. 2000. Possible association of the short allele of the serotonin transporter promoter gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) with violent suicide. Mol Psychiatry 5: 193-195. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4000678
  4. Bratek A, Zawada K, Beil-Gawelczyk J, Beil S, Sozanska E, Krysta K, Barczyk A, Krupka-Matuszczyk I, Pierzchala W. 2015. Depressiveness, symptoms of anxiety and cognitive dysfunctions in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): possible associations with inflammation markers: a pilot study. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 122(Suppl 1): S83-S91.
  5. Breslau N, Roth T, Rosenthal L, Andreski P. 1996. Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders: a longitudinal epidemiological study of young adults. Biol Psychiatry 39: 411-418. https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-3223(95)00188-3
  6. Cho EH, Kim NH, Kim HC, Yang YH, Kim J, Hwang B. 2019. Dry sauna therapy is beneficial for patients with low back pain. Anesth Pain Med (Seoul) 14: 474-479. https://doi.org/10.17085/apm.2019.14.4.474
  7. Chon KK, Choi SC, Yang BC. 2001. Integrated adaptation of CES-D in Korea. Korean J Health Psychol 6: 59-76.
  8. Cohen BE, Panguluri P, Na B, Whooley MA. 2010. Psychological risk factors and the metabolic syndrome in patients with coronary heart disease: findings from the Heart and Soul Study. Psychiatry Res 175: 133-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.02.004
  9. Goldberg DP, Hillier VF. 1979. A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychol Med 9: 139-145. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700021644
  10. Gweon HS. 2009. Effects of problem drinking of elderly on life satisfaction mediated by depression and self-esteem: a latent means analysis application between poor and non-poor elderly. J Korean Gerontol Soc 29: 1521-1538.
  11. Han JW, Choi H, Jeon YH, Yoon CH, Woo JM, Kim W. 2016. The effects of forest therapy on coping with chronic widespread pain: physiological and psychological differences between participants in a forest therapy program and a control group. Int J Environ Res Public Health 13: 255.
  12. Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S. 2001. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. Am J Med 110: 118-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9343(00)00671-9
  13. Hayasaka S, Nakamura Y, Kajii E, Ide M, Shibata Y, Noda T, Murata C, Nagata K, Ojima T. 2008. Effects of charcoal kiln saunas (Jjimjilbang) on psychological states. Complement Ther Clin Pract 14: 143-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2007.12.004
  14. Jang SJ. 2000. Stress. In: Standardization of Health Statistics Data Collection and Measurement (Korean Society for Preventive Medicine, ed). Gyechuk Munwhasa, Seoul, pp 92-143.
  15. Jansson-Frojmark M, Lindblom K. 2008. A bidirectional relationship between anxiety and depression, and insomnia? A prospective study in the general population. J Psychosom Res 64: 443-449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2007.10.016
  16. Kim DJ, Lee SS. 2014. Effects of forest therapy program in school forest on employment stress and anxiety of university students. J Korean Soc People Plants Environ 17: 107-115. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2014.17.2.107
  17. Kim EJ. 2015. Occupational stress, depression, drinking of heavy industrial male workers. J Korea Acad Ind Coop Soc 16: 4758-4767.
  18. Kim H, Lee YW, Ju HJ, Jang BJ, Kim YI. 2019a. An exploratory study on the effects of forest therapy on sleep quality in patients with gastrointestinal tract cancers. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16: 2449.
  19. Kim JT, Shin DK. 1978. A study based on the standardization of the STAI for Korea. New Med J 21: 69-75.
  20. Kim JY, Shin CS, Lee JK. 2017. The effects of forest healing program on mental health and melatonin of the elderly in the urban forest. J Korean Soc People Plants Environ 20: 95-106. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2017.20.1.095
  21. Kim SH, Min JW, Park BK. 2019b. The effect of smartphone addiction and stress on sleep quality among university students. J Korea Acad Ind Coop Soc 20: 112-120.
  22. Kim YK. 2001. Perceived Effects after Using the Loess-Room. Korean J Womens Health 2: 25-50.
  23. Ko KS, Im YJ, Moon JH, Nam HE. 2022. A study on the structural relationship between drinking and smoking, physical health, depression and anxiety in middle-aged and elderly people. J Korea Acad Ind Coop Soc 23: 359-366.
  24. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. 2022. Knowledge of the Harmful Effects of Tobacco. Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju.
  25. Lee BK, Lee HH. 2013. Effects of occupational and social stresses after forest therapy. J Naturop 2: 108-114.
  26. Lee YS. 1995. A study on the effective alcohol education strategies for the prevention of alcohol problems. Korean J Health Educ Promot 12: 139-145.
  27. Masuda A, Nakazato M, Kihara T, Minagoe S, Tei C. 2005. Repeated thermal therapy diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. Psychosom Med 67: 643-647. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.psy.0000171812.67767.8f
  28. Michalsen A, Loer D, Melchart D, Dobos G. 1999. [Changes of short-time heart rate variability during hyperthermia treatment with infrared A whole body irradiation]. Forsch Komplementarmed 6: 212-215. German. https://doi.org/10.1159/000021250
  29. Ministry of Health and Welfare. 2017. The Survey of Mental Disorders in Korea. Ministry of Health and Welfare, Sejong.
  30. Oh CH, Park SG, Park JH, Oh IJ. 2016. The Effects of the Forest Environment on Internet Addition Treatment. J Korea Acad Ind Coop Soc 17: 489-499. https://doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2016.17.4.489
  31. Oh JJ, Song MS, Kim SM. 1998. Development and validation of Korea Sleep Scale A. J Korean Acad Nurs 28: 563-572. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.1998.28.3.563
  32. Park BJ, Shin CS, Shin WS, Chung CY, Lee SH, Kim DJ, Kim YH, Park CE. 2020. Effects of forest therapy on health promotion among middle-aged women: focusing on physiological indicators. Int J Environ Res Public Health 17: 4348.
  33. Park KJ, Shin CS, Yeon PS. 2021. Identification of the effectiveness of forest therapy factors by disease through review of forest therapy experience essays. J Korean Inst For Recreat 25: 1-12.
  34. Park MK. 1997. Professor Baek Woo-hyun, who discovered the far-infrared effect of loess - loess saves even dying life. Wolgan Saemteo 28: 10-14.
  35. Park SH, Koo CD. 2018. Needs analysis for the development of forest therapy program utilizing the urban forest-focused on the visitors of Incheon Grand Park. J Korean Inst For Recreat 22: 11-24. https://doi.org/10.34272/forest.2018.22.1.002
  36. Park SM, Woo JM, Kim W, Lee YJ. 2012. Sub-populations and disorders that can be applied to forest therapy. J Korean Inst For Recreat 16: 35-42. https://doi.org/10.34272/forest.2012.16.1.004
  37. Park YH. 2007. Physical activity and sleep patterns in elderly who visited a community senior center. J Korean Acad Nurs 37: 5-13. https://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2007.37.1.5
  38. Park YM, Kang SG, Lee HJ, Kim L. 2014. Insomnia in relation to suicide and serotonin in patients with major depressive disorder. Sleep Med Psychophysiol 21: 29-32. https://doi.org/10.14401/KASMED.2014.21.1.29
  39. Patton GC, Carlin JB, Coffey C, Wolfe R, Hibbert M, Bowes G. 1998. Depression, anxiety, and smoking initiation: a prospective study over 3 years. Am J Public Health 88: 1518-1522. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.88.10.1518
  40. Patton GC, Hibbert M, Rosier MJ, Carlin JB, Caust J, Bowes G. 1996. Is smoking associated with depression and anxiety in teenagers? Am J Public Health 86: 225-230. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.86.2.225
  41. Radloff LS. 1977. The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Appl Psychol Meas 1: 385-401. https://doi.org/10.1177/014662167700100306
  42. Schraedley PK, Gotlib IH, Hayward C. 1999. Gender differences in correlates of depressive symptoms in adolescents. J Adolesc Health 25: 98-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(99)00038-5
  43. Seo YS. 2011. A study on health status by social-economic status of middle-aged and elderly. J Korean Gerontol Soc 31: 1135-1153.
  44. Shin CS, Yeon PS, Jo MN, Kim JY. 2015. Effects of forest healing activity on women's menopausal symptoms and mental health recovery. J Korean Soc People Plants Environ 18: 319-325. https://doi.org/10.11628/ksppe.2015.18.4.319
  45. Shin WS, Yeoun PS, Lee JH, Kim SK, Joo JS. 2007. The Relationships Among Forest Experience, Anxiety and Depression. J Korean Inst For Recreat 11: 27-32.
  46. Sim NS, Shin CS, Shin MJ. 2021. The effect of forest healing program on resilience and depression of baby boomer retirees. Korean J Environ Ecol 35: 424-434. https://doi.org/10.13047/KJEE.2021.35.4.424
  47. Soejima Y, Munemoto T, Masuda A, Uwatoko Y, Miyata M, Tei C. 2015. Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study. Intern Med 54: 333-338. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.54.3042
  48. Spielberger CD, Gonzalez-Reigosa F, Martinez-Urrutia A, Natalicio LFS, Natalicio DS. 1971. Development of the Spanish edition of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Interam J Psychol 5: 145-158.
  49. Strickland PL, Deakin JF, Percival C, Dixon J, Gater RA, Goldberg DP. 2002. Bio-social origins of depression in the community. Interactions between social adversity, cortisol and serotonin neurotransmission. Br J Psychiatry 180: 168-173. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.180.2.168
  50. Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A. 2005. Neurocircuitry in alcoholism: a substrate of disruption and repair. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 180: 583-594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-2267-6
  51. Svenningsson P, Chergui K, Rachleff I, Flajolet M, Zhang X, El Yacoubi M, Vaugeois JM, Nomikos GG, Greengard P. 2006. Alterations in 5-HT1B receptor function by p11 in depression-like states. Science 311: 77-80. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1117571
  52. Tomiyama C, Watanabe M, Honma T, Inada A, Hayakawa T, Ryufuku M, Abo T. 2015. The effect of repetitive mild hyperthermia on body temperature, the autonomic nervous system, and innate and adaptive immunity. Biomed Res 36: 135-142. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.36.135
  53. Wellen KE, Hotamisligil GS. 2003. Obesity-induced inflammatory changes in adipose tissue. J Clin Invest 112: 1785-1788. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI200320514
  54. Wetterberg L, Arendt J, Paunier L, Sizonenko PC, Donselaar W, Heyden T. 1976. Human serum melatonin changes during the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 42: 185-188. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-42-1-185
  55. Wilson L. 2010. Infrared Sauna Therapy. L.D. Wilson Consultants, Inc., Prescott, AZ.
  56. You YS, Kim HC, Lee CJ, Jang NC, Son BK. 2014. A study of effects of sallimyok(forest therapy)-based mental health program on the depression the psychological stability. J Korean Soc Sch Community Health Educ 15: 55-65.
  57. Zhou FC, Sari Y, Zhang JK, Goodlett CR, Li T. 2001. Prenatal alcohol exposure retards the migration and development of serotonin neurons in fetal C57BL mice. Brain Res Dev Brain Res 126: 147-155. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-3806(00)00144-9
  58. Zhou H, Sealock JM, Sanchez-Roige S, Clarke TK, Levey DF, Cheng Z, Li B, Polimanti R, Kember RL, Smith RV, Thygesen JH, Morgan MY, Atkinson SR, Thursz MR, Nyegaard M, Mattheisen M, Borglum AD, Johnson EC, Justice AC, Palmer AA, McQuillin A, Davis LK, Edenberg HJ, Agrawal A, Kranzler HR, Gelernter J. 2020. Genome-wide meta-analysis of problematic alcohol use in 435,563 individuals yields insights into biology and relationships with other traits. Nat Neurosci 23: 809-818.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-0643-5