Clinical trial NCT06001723: A Feasibility Study to Determine Whether the Botanical Garden Become a Region of Forest Therapy for Cancer Survivors
Official title: A Feasibility Study to Determine Whether the Botanical Garden Become a Region of Forest Therapy for Cancer Survivors
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Neoplasms
Cancer
Mental Health Disorder
Depression
Keywords: Forest therapy
Forest healing
Cancer Survivors
Mental Health Disorder
Lead sponsor: Taipei City Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
Collaborators: name: Taiwan Forestry Research Institute
First posted: 2023-08-21
Enrollment: 50
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 36
Maximum age (years): 82
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: The forest healing system is an important topic of alternative therapy in recent years. To investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, a two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples.

Detailed description: Introduction:

Cancer's global impact persists, ranking among the top three causes of death in Taiwan. Despite improved survival rates after cancer surgery, negative emotions among patients remain a challenge. Post-cancer depression adversely affects treatment outcomes and overall quality of life. Forest therapy, a natural healing approach, has gained attention for its potential to reduce stress, mitigate negative emotions, and enhance well-being.

Objectives:

This study investigates forest therapy's effectiveness in alleviating negative emotions among post-cancer patients. It compares therapy outcomes at Taipei Botanical Garden and Fushan Botanical Garden. Additionally, the study explores the lasting emotional benefits of forest therapy.

Methods:

Utilizing a pretest-posttest experimental design, this study is conducted at the Botanical Garden in Fushan, Taipei. Participants are cancer patients who are six months post-treatment. A two-hour guided forest healing activity serves as the intervention method. Data collection involves instrumental tests and saliva samples. A comparable location adjacent to Taipei Botanical Garden, excluding urban areas, is selected for comparison activities. Portable heart rhythm monitors track data, and saliva samples are analyzed for salivary α-amylase enzyme kinetics and cortisol concentrations. The study employs questionnaires including the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition-Adult short (POMS2-A short), Beck Depression Inventory-Second edition (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the abbreviated Taiwan version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Over 20 year-old
* Cancer patients finished cancer treatments more than 6 months (regardless hormone therapy)
* Voluntary attendance

Exclusion Criteria:

* People who unable to walk for at least 120 minutes
* People who still smoking, chewing betel nut or drinking alcohol (over five standard cups in any situation)
* People who addicted to medicine
* People who attend another clinical trial at the same time or in the follow-up period of an interventional trial
* Pregnant women or breast feeding
* Other conditions that participants unable to cooperate with

Primary outcomes:
measure: questionnaire: POMS2-A short (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: POMS2-A short (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: POMS2-A short (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BAI (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BAI (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BAI (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BDI-II (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BDI-II (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: BDI-II (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: questionnaire: WHOQOL-BREF (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: alpha-amylase activity in salivary (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: cortisol concentration in salivary (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: HRV (Heart Rate Variability) (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (Fushan botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Fushan botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (Taipei botanical garden)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at Taipei botanical garden → post-test immediately after the intervention
measure: physiological indicator: blood pressures (systolic and diastolic) (urban region)
timeFrame: per-test → 2 hours intervention at urban region → post-test immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Taipei
country: Taiwan
facility: Taipei city hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Branch of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital
name: Chung-Hua Hsu, MD. PHD.
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: