Forest therapy reduces suicide risk and depression, study finds
Participants sit in a circle during a forest therapy session on a wooden boardwalk deck, engaging in a mindful tea exercise designed to reduce stress and support mental health recovery. Courtesy of Korea Forest Service
Engaging in structured forest therapy programs significantly reduces suicide risk, feelings of despair and depression, offering a scientifically backed tool for mental health recovery, according to a study released Wednesday by the National Institute of Forest Science.
The findings arrive against the backdrop of an ongoing national mental health crisis in Korea, which has long recorded the highest suicide rate among developed nations. In response to persistent societal stress, hyper-competitive work and academic environments and social isolation, state health agencies have increasingly looked beyond traditional clinical interventions toward community-based and natural preventative measures to build long-term psychological resilience.
To verify the objective efficacy of natural exposure, researchers introduced standardized psychological tests to evaluate numerical shifts before and after program participation. Timed with World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday, the study analyzed key indicators across 231 participants, tracking changes in suicide risk, hopelessness and depression metrics.
The quantitative results demonstrated a marked decline across all vulnerability markers.
The average score on the Suicide Status Form dropped from 35.05 before the program to 29.48 upon completion. Crucially, the proportion of participants categorized as high-risk — defined by a score of 36 or higher — decreased by 9.1 percentage points, dropping from 26.4 percent down to 17.3 percent.
Alongside the hard numbers, personal entries from 168 participants showed a clear pattern: The program helped settle their emotions and clear their heads.
Participants reported that immersive woodland activities provided a necessary psychological buffer, allowing them time for quiet self-reflection away from daily pressures. A significant majority expressed an intention to integrate forest visits into their regular personal routines as a long-term strategy for stress regulation and self-care.
The study aligns with the Korea Forest Service’s contribution to the government’s "1,000 Lives Saved Project." Managed by the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the campaign aims to reduce annual suicide deaths by 1,000 through joint public-private programs and expanded community services. Through the initiative, officials are integrating public forest lands into national mental health support networks.
"This study marks a meaningful step in linking the psychological restorative power of forest therapy with national suicide prevention efforts," said Lee Hyun-jin, a researcher at the institute's Forest Human Service Division. "We will continue building scientific evidence so forest therapy can serve as a recognized resource for public suicide prevention."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.