The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Chronic fatigue syndrome; Fibromyalgia; Forest therapy

Síndrome de fatiga crònica; Fibromiàlgia; Teràpia forestal

Síndrome de fatiga crónica; Fibromialgia; Terapia forestal

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.

The project was funded in part by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Innovation (MCIN) State R + D + I Program Oriented to the Challenges of Society (Ref. PID 2020-117667RA-I00) and co-financed by European Union ERDF funds. We are grateful to the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP CB22/02/00052; ISCIII) for its support.