Review

Abstract

This study aimed at a summary of the research status and effects of forest therapy in South Korea through systematic literature analysis on forest healing. RISS, KISS, DBpia, ScienceOn, Embase, and PubMed were used as search engines. The research period was conducted for papers published from 2012 (the forest healing instructor system was implemented) to December 2022. As for the basic search term, 101 domestic papers were selected through content search after the first screening using forest therapy and forest therapy. Among them, 25 papers in the last 5 years derived the results using objective psychological and cognitive indicators and neurophysiological measurement methods. For the current status of the study, the type and place of forest therapy programs used in the study, forest therapy resources, forest therapy program contents, subjects, classification by disease, effects, and effect measurement methods were analyzed. Since all studies are not included in the database of foreign thesis that we often encounter, the trend of domestic research can be overlooked. Though domestic studies to verify the effects of randomization and control experiments have not reached the level yet, and some problems are found in the medical interpretation of the results. If interest in these treatments and domestic papers increases through this review, we think it will serve as an opportunity for more domestic studies that faithfully accumulate evidence in the future.