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The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic
Mayte Serrat1,2, Estíbaliz Royuela-Colomer3, Sandra Alonso-Marsol4
1Unitat d'Expertesa en Síndromes de Sensibilització Central, Hospital de la Vall d'Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
Background/Objectives:
The main objective of the present study is to assess the short-term effects of Forest Bathing (FB) conducted in a Mediterranean forest on individuals with fibromyalgia (FM) and/or chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgia encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) on perceived pain, fatigue, state anxiety, positive and negative affect, mood states, and state mindfulness.
Methods:
A total of 44 participants with FM and/or CSF/ME agreed to participate in this study. The FB session consisted of a 3 km silent walk, lasting three hours and guided by a specialized psychologist and a mountain guide to guarantee the safety of the activity. Paired-sample t-tests were used to analyze the pre-post changes in perceived pain, fatigue, state anxiety, positive and negative affect, mood states, and mindfulness.
Results:
All reported variables but self-reported pain showed statistically significant pre-post variations after the FB session. Particularly, large-to-very-large improvements in positive and negative affect, state anxiety, tension, depression, anger, and vigor were found. Small-to-moderate effect sizes for fatigue, friendliness, and state mindfulness were also reported.
Conclusions:
This study provides preliminary evidence of the short-term benefits of FB in individuals with FM and/or CFS/ME, especially on state anxiety and negative affect.
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