Too often, mental health is primarily treated with medication, especially when, for us Finns, help might be surprisingly close. Forest nature has particularly positive health effects on us humans. Studies have found that forest environments reduce cortisol levels and blood pressure compared to urban environments. Promising results have been obtained regarding the effects of being in nature on, for example, work well-being. And even if you can’t physically access a forest environment, you can still watch forest videos with soundscapes and get almost the same benefit.
The goal of TAMK’s Forest Therapy project is for young people to find nature as a part of supporting their own well-being.
Background on students well-being issues
The patient volumes in adolescent psychiatry have alarmingly increased, but the growing treatment demand cannot be met. The growth in treatment queues cannot be solved merely by increasing treatment resources.
The demand for mental health services multiplied during the COVID-19 pandemic, but concerning trends were observable even before that. Among university students, the situation manifests as issues with coping, difficulties in concentration, absenteeism, interruptions in studies, and marginalization.
The COVID crisis has only deepened the issues with well-being. For instance, in the 2022 Survey of Academic Engineers (TEK), 48% of the participating students reported being often or constantly worried about their well-being. In 2019, the corresponding figure was 41%, and in 2021, it was 51%.
Similar results have been found in the THL’s (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare) Health and Well-being Survey among University Students. According to the findings, one in three students suffered from anxiety and/or depression symptoms. Up to 40% of women reported psychological distress. One in ten students reported insufficient sleep due to internet usage. Also, the sense of belonging to any study-related group was extremely low.
According to Nyyti ry, an organization promoting students’ mental health and study ability, the number of students in need of mental health services has significantly increased. They attribute the situation to the high demands set by society, in addition to the COVID pandemic.
Background on the impact of forest nature on human well-being
The effects of natural environments on humans have been studied concerning physiological variables and mental health-related variables. International studies have shown that natural environments have positive effects on the aforementioned issues. Finland is the most forested country in the world, but do we know how to utilize it well enough in Finnish healthcare?
Park et al. presented in their article the results of studies indicating that forest environments can lower cortisol levels, reduce heart rate, decrease blood pressure, increase parasympathetic nervous system activity, and reduce sympathetic nervous system activity compared to urban environments. The researchers concluded that forest environments can effectively help relax the human body. According to them, the use of forests should be developed in stress management, health promotion, rehabilitation, and disease prevention.
In their study, Lee et al. compared the effects of forest and urban landscapes. Participants who viewed forest landscapes had significantly lower levels of salivary cortisol, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate compared to participants who viewed urban landscapes. Additionally, these participants felt more comfortable, calmer, and more refreshed when viewing forest rather than urban landscapes.
Goals and Tasks
The aim of the project is to promote the well-being of young people by utilizing, for example, the results of research on the health effects of nature described above. The immediate goals of the project are to improve student satisfaction, progress in studies, academic success, and establish a lasting connection with nature. The project promotes the graduation of students as experts in the workforce, thereby enhancing the efficient use of society’s economic resources.
The project involves developing, adapting, and systematizing existing knowledge into a concrete action model, which will be implemented in various degree programs at TAMK. The action model will be constructed to be easily adaptable in other educational institutions and universities. Elements will be incorporated into the action model to integrate nature into students’ daily lives through gamification and the use of digitalization.
The project will involve students from various fields of study at TAMK. This approach allows for the inclusion of young people’s perspectives and ideas in the action model, making it as attractive and appealing as possible to students who may not have a pre-existing connection with nature and find it difficult to engage with nature and forests.
Funders and Duration
The project is funded by Sitra (The Finnish Innovation Fund). The project has a duration of two years and will conclude at the end of 2024.