It is known that natural environments have beneficial impacts on individuals’ mental health. Nevertheless, there are some restrictions that could impede access to these environments that have healing properties. With the urbanization of the globe, workers encounter increased work-related stress and mental disorders that harm their subjective well-being. This study focuses on the restorative effects of forest environments. It is vital to consider how to enhance the mental health and well-being of patients due to the growing importance of the issue. That is why it is critical to create appropriate therapies that will contribute to having better experiences. VR becomes a rather attractive opportunity since it enables users to experience different situations in a secure environment. For reducing social anxiety, the idea of adding the therapeutic intention to a virtual forest was implemented in the current research. There were two experimental groups with the therapeutic intention in a VR forest and the therapeutic intention in a VR forest under the direction of a therapist. To compare the effects of the above-mentioned groups, a control group was also involved in the experiment. All the conditions contributed to an enhancement in the healing effects of the forest. Nevertheless, only the experimental group with therapeutic intention contributed to a reduction in social anxiety. Participants in the latter group also reported more satisfying experiences, along with better knowledge about the therapeutic properties of the virtual forest. This study shows that all the seven types of woodlands have at least some potential for reducing stress. There are several aspects according to which the ways of stress relief in various types of woodlands differ. The most natural type of woodland does not exert the maximum influence on stress relief. The landscape of the forest with water contributes to the positive effects of stress relief. The combination of the virtual forest and therapeutic activities can be more beneficial for achieving more effective outcomes in terms of prolonged engagement and comprehension during numerous therapy sessions. The non-VR method can help reduce stress right away.
It is known that natural environments have beneficial impacts on individuals’ mental health. Nevertheless, there are some restrictions that could impede access to these environments that have healing properties. With the urbanization of the globe, workers encounter increased work-related stress and mental disorders that harm their subjective well-being. This study focuses on the restorative effects of forest environments. It is vital to consider how to enhance the mental health and well-being of patients due to the growing importance of the issue. That is why it is critical to create appropriate therapies that will contribute to having better experiences. VR becomes a rather attractive opportunity since it enables users to experience different situations in a secure environment. For reducing social anxiety, the idea of adding the therapeutic intention to a virtual forest was implemented in the current research. There were two experimental groups with the therapeutic intention in a VR forest and the therapeutic intention in a VR forest under the direction of a therapist. To compare the effects of the above-mentioned groups, a control group was also involved in the experiment. All the conditions contributed to an enhancement in the healing effects of the forest. Nevertheless, only the experimental group with therapeutic intention contributed to a reduction in social anxiety. Participants in the latter group also reported more satisfying experiences, along with better knowledge about the therapeutic properties of the virtual forest. This study shows that all the seven types of woodlands have at least some potential for reducing stress. There are several aspects according to which the ways of stress relief in various types of woodlands differ. The most natural type of woodland does not exert the maximum influence on stress relief. The landscape of the forest with water contributes to the positive effects of stress relief. The combination of the virtual forest and therapeutic activities can be more beneficial for achieving more effective outcomes in terms of prolonged engagement and comprehension during numerous therapy sessions. The non-VR method can help reduce stress right away.
