{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T21:52:51Z","timestamp":1789681971149,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,12]],"date-time":"2022-11-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668211200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Long-COVID affects over 144 million people globally. In the absence of treatments, there is a need to establish the efficacy of therapies that improve patient outcomes. Forest bathing has been demonstrated to improve physical and mental outcomes but there is no evidence in Long-COVID patients. Accordingly, this pilot study sought to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of online forest bathing in adults with Long-COVID. Methods: Feasibility was assessed by monitoring retention rates and participant feedback. In a waitlist controlled, repeated measures design, 22 Long-COVID patients completed weekly online surveys during a four-week waitlist control period, before engaging in four weekly online forest bathing sessions, completing post-intervention surveys following each session. Results: In terms of retention, 27% did not provide post-intervention data, reasons for non-adherence were: feeling too ill, having medical appointments, or having career responsibilities. Compared with the waitlist control period, there were statistically significant improvements in Anxiety (49% decrease), Rumination (48% decrease), Social Connection (78% increase), and Long-COVID symptoms (22% decrease). Written qualitative comments indicated that participants experienced feelings of calm and joy, felt more connected socially and with nature, and experienced a break from the pain and rumination surrounding their illness. Conclusions: Online Forest bathing resulted in significant improvements in well-being and symptom severity and could be considered an accessible and inexpensive adjunct therapy for Long-COVID patients. Where people have limited access to in-person nature, virtual nature may offer an alternative to improve health and well-being outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph192214905","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,14]],"date-time":"2022-11-14T02:29:32Z","timestamp":1668392972000},"page":"14905","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["The Feasibility and Impact of Practising Online Forest Bathing to Improve Anxiety, Rumination, Social Connection and Long-COVID Symptoms: A Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0945-0521","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kirsten","family":"McEwan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Harriet","family":"Collett","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Kindred Soil, Bristol BS6 5BP, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jean","family":"Nairn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Woodlands Breathing, Edinburgh EH27 8BW, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2481-1583","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jamie","family":"Bird","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8163-7032","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mark A.","family":"Faghy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biomedical Research Theme, School of Human Sciences, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UK"},{"name":"Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL\u2013PIVOT) Network, Chicago, IL 60612, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5734-3221","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eric","family":"Pfeifer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Catholic University of Applied Sciences, Karlstr. 63, 79104 Freiburg, Germany"},{"name":"Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, 1020 Vienna, Austria"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9186-3925","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jessica E.","family":"Jackson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby DE22 1GB, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caroline","family":"Cook","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Well with Nature, Dronfield, Derbyshire S18 4AX, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amanda","family":"Bond","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Wild Edgewalker Forest Therapy, Jersey JE3 8AF, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2020). 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