Study Shows Children's Mental Health Can Be Improved Through Practice Known as Forest Bathing

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 -- 8:01 AM

(John Davis, Wisconsin Public Radio) A recent study shows children’s mental health can be improved by exposure to nature through a practice known as forest bathing.

According to John Davis with Wisconsin Public Radio, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse brought a dozen kids between the ages of 9 and 14 to a forest in La Crosse during the summer of 2019 to participate in guided forest therapy. The participants all dealt with mental health challenges like anxiety and/or depression, and each experienced relief from being outside.

"There’s a significant decrease in the blood pressure. Their energy level increased. Their concentration level increased, and the level of stress decreased," said Namyun Kil, the study's author and an associate professor in UW-La Crosse’s Recreation Management & Recreation Therapy department.

The study's findings were published last month in the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion Psychological and Physiological Health. Forest bathing involves a slow, mindful immersion in nature. It’s typically led by a trained instructor. Also known as forest therapy, it promotes relaxation and studies done in other countries suggest the practice has several physical and mental health benefits.

Kil said based on the study’s results, he’s encouraging parents to spend more time in nature with their children, especially those who may have a mental health challenge like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

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