Figure 2 - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Content may be subject to copyright.
Comparison of psychological assessments between plant and computer stimuli. (A) Feelings of comfort, (B) the feeling of relaxation, and (C) the feeling of naturalness. N = 24, mean ± SD, **P < 0.01 according to the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Source publication
Developments in information technology cause a great deal of stress to modern people, and controlling this stress now becomes an important issue. The aim of this study was to examine psychological and physiological benefits of interaction with indoor plants.
The study subjects were 24 young male adults at the age of 24.9 ± 2.1 (mean ± SD). The cros...
Similar publications
Purpose:
Patients with epilepsy and those with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) experience high levels of stress and stress is one of the most frequently self-identified seizure precipitants. Although stress is a multifaceted phenomenon, few studies have systematically examined its different components in patients with seizures. The aim of...
Citations
... Eight studies were further removed because the outcome indicators were irrelevant to stress reduction and detailed reasons are presented in Appendix C. There were 31 studies included in our final analysis (Kam and Siu, 2010;Gonzalez et al., 2011;Hawkins et al., 2011;Van Den Berg and Custers, 2011;Pálsdóttir et al., 2013;Chen et al., 2015;Lee et al., 2015Lee et al., , 2018aLee et al., ,b, 2022Dewi et al., 2017;Huang et al., 2017;Park et al., 2017a,b;Han et al., 2018;Hassan et al., 2019;Shao et al., 2020;Siu et al., 2020;Tao et al., 2020Tao et al., , 2022Wei et al., 2020;Chalmin-Pui et al., 2021;Gong and Chen, 2021;Kim et al., 2021;Meore et al., 2021;Szczepańska-Gieracha et al., 2021;Chan et al., 2022;Curzio et al., 2022;Du et al., 2022;Odeh et al., 2022). ...
... Interventions . . . . Type of activities We included 10 studies in the activity-specific subgroup analysis, among which five reported studies involved multiple horticultural activities as interventions (Lee et al., 2018b;Wei et al., 2020;Gong and Chen, 2021;Kim et al., 2021), and seven studies involved single horticultural activity as interventions (Van Den Berg and Custers, 2011;Lee et al., 2015;Park et al., 2017b;Hassan et al., 2019;Shao et al., 2020;Tao et al., 2020;Du et al., 2022). The results revealed that walking (SMD = −1.42), ...
Introduction
Horticultural therapy has been increasingly accepted as a non-pharmacological stress reduction treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated its therapeutic effects, with the effect varying according to the populations, settings, and interventions of horticultural therapy. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive review of the current literature regarding the effectiveness of horticultural therapy in reducing stress.
Methods
We selected databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP Data as our data source, and the original search was completed in January 2023.
Results
Our results showed significantly increased effects of horticultural therapy on psychological indicators compared to a control group, but an insignificant effect on physiology indicators. The result of the subgroup analysis demonstrated that the stress-reducing effects of horticultural therapy were related to the characteristics of the population and indoor and virtual areas were the most effective setting for horticultural therapy. At the same time, a total duration of 100–500 minutes provided better effects of stress reduction.
Discussion
We also developed a theoretical framework based on a “Participants-Settings-Interventions” structure for horticulture therapy in terms of its stress-reduction effects, to provide a reference for future horticultural therapy activities.
... Spending time in nature or indoors with living plants helps improve mood, reduce stress, and improve cognitive skills for people of all ages [12]. In 2015, Min-sun Lee, Juyoung Lee, and Bum-Jin Park from Korea and Yoshifumi Miyazaki from Japan conducted a study titled "Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults" [13]. The goal was to study the psychological and physiological benefits for people from interaction with houseplants. ...
... Previous research has indicated that active involvement with greenery (i.e., planting) exerts greater effects on cognition than control conditions that do not involve greenery ). Additional studies have indicated that engaging in planting activities reduces psychophysiological stress relative to that experienced during a mental task (Lee et al. 2015). Although such studies have clearly indicated the positive health effects of involvement with nature, there is a dearth of scientific evidence regarding the physiological and psychological effects of nature-based tactile stimulation. ...
... These findings are in accordance with those of previous studies, which reported that engaging in horticultural activities significantly reducedsystolic and diastolic blood pressures compared with levels observed during a mental task (Hassan et al. 2018b). Similar findings were obtained in a previous study in which participants engaged in plant-based activities (i.e., transplanting an indoor plant) (Lee et al. 2015). The advantages of physical activity in the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure have been well documented (Alsairafi et al. 2010): Individuals who regularly engage in physical activity have lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures than those who rarely engage in such activity (Knowles et al. 2013). ...
Reducing stress associated with technology and the use of electronics is a major issue among Chinese adults. However, no studies have investigated the effect of tactile stimulation of the feet. In this study, we investigated psychophysiological techniques for controlling stress by having participants touch natural materials with the sole of the foot. The study included 90 young Chinese adults with a mean (±SD) age of 21.2 ± 2.7 years. A crossover design was used to examine psychological and physiological differences between touching grass with the sole of the foot and touching wood (control) for 10 minutes. Physiological assessments included blood pressure measurements and electroencephalog-raphy, and psychological assessments included the Semantic Differential Method (SDM) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). We observed significant decreases in sys-tolic and diastolic blood pressures in the experimental condition compared with the control condition, along with increases in alpha and beta activities. SDM results indicated that participants were moderately comfortable, very relaxed, and experienced reduced anxiety after stimulation with grass compared with after the control condition. Mean attention and relaxation scores were also significantly higher in the experimental condition than in the control condition. Thus, our results suggest that touching grass with the sole of the foot can lower psychophysiological stress in adults.
... Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increase when a person is stressed and decrease when he or she is relaxed, while the pulse rate increases when the body is in motion or emotionally excited. EEG is a common method widely used to evaluate the effect of forest therapy [31,46,47]. EEG records changes in electrical waves during brain activity. ...
Many studies have shown that urban green spaces can promote emotional health. Deciduous forest is an important landscape and ecological resource of the city. However, the emotional impact of different behavior patterns in this kind of natural space with obvious seasonal changes are rarely discussed. This study explores the emotional feedback of two typical behavior patterns within an urban landscape forest in autumn: sitting and walking. We recruited 80 volunteers and divided them into a sitting viewing group (group S) and a walking viewing group (group W). On the premise of gender balance, they were randomly assigned to a natural path under a Ginkgo biloba forest in autumn for 15 min of viewing. Physiological and psychological indicators were used for monitoring. Blood pressure, heart rate and electroencephalography (EEG) were used for physiological indicators, and a POMS questionnaire was used for psychological indicators. A paired t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the physiological parameters of the two experimental groups, and a paired Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test was used to analyze the differences in psychological indexes between the two behavior groups. The results showed that the diastolic blood pressure and pulse of the sitting group decreased significantly under the seasonal deciduous forest, and the walking group attained higher “Engagement”, “Excitement”, and “Relaxation”. In the absolute α and β waves, there were significant differences in the parietal P8 channels between the sitting and walking groups, and significant differences in the RAB indicators of the AF3, F7, P7, FC5, FC6, F3 and T7 channels. The two behavior patterns can effectively reduce negative mood, and the “Vigor” mood in the walking group was significantly increased, which was significantly better than that of the sitting group in reducing negative mood. These results enrich research on the influence on emotional health in the field of seasonal green-space restoration. The differences of different behavior patterns can provide guidance for planning urban landscape forest construction and activity facilities.
... Furthermore, HRV is significantly changed in stressed patients, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease [29,30]. Other studies have indicated that HRV could be used to assess the level of stress [31]. A total of ten HRV-related indicators-five time-domain and five frequency-domain related indicators-were analyzed in this study. ...
Electromagnetic waves are widely used in both military and civilian fields, which could cause long-term and high-power exposure to certain populations and may pose a health hazard. The aim of this study was to simulate the long-term and high-power working environment of workers using special electromagnetic radiation occupations to clarify the radiation-induced stress response and cardiac damage and thus gain insights into the mechanisms of injuries caused by electromagnetic radiation. In this study, the combination of microwave and stress was an innovative point, aiming to broaden the research direction with regard to the effect and mechanism of cardiac injury caused by radiation. The myocardial structure was observed by optical and transmission electron microscope, mitochondrial function was detected by flow cytometry, oxidative-stress markers were detected by microplate reader, serum stress hormone was detected by radioimmunoassay, and heart rate variability (HRV) was analyzed by multichannel-physiological recorder. The rats were weighed and subjected to an open field experiment. Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the expressions and distributions of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase), p-JNK (phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase), HSF1 (heat shock factor), and NFATc4 (nuclear factor of activated T-cell 4). This study found that radiation could lead to the disorganization, fragmentation, and dissolution of myocardial fibers, severe mitochondrial cavitation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative-stress injury in myocardium, increase to stress hormone in serum, significant changes in HRV, and a slow gain in weight. The open field experiment indicated that the rats experienced anxiety and depression and had decreased exercise capacity after radiation. The expressions of JNK, p-JNK, HSF1, and NFATc4 in myocardial tissue were all increased. The above results suggested that 30 mW/cm2 of S-band microwave radiation for 35 min could cause both physiological and psychological stress damage in rats; the damage was related to the activation of the JNK pathway, which provided new ideas for research on protection from radiation.
... Although in both cases the public's acceptance is high, it is suggested by the present work's findings that indoor VGSs might require additional measures to gain ground in Chile. The presence of indoor plants has been reported to have positive effects both on physical and on psychological health [81][82][83][84][85][86]. Therefore, it is suggested that the motives driving the lower acceptance of indoor vertical gardening systems in comparison to outdoor ones are further investigated. ...
Vertical greening systems (VGSs), i.e., living walls (LWs) and green façades (GFs), are considered a promising technology to diminish the negative effects of urbanisation. Plant selection for these systems is challenging due to the narrow spectrum of species available, and the required adaptation to specific climate conditions. Considering Chile’s rich plant biodiversity, this study aims to analyse the potential of Chilean native species to be introduced in VGSs. A total of 109 potentially usable species from the north (n = 25), centre (n = 32), south (n = 31) and the Andes Mountains (n = 21) were selected for VGSs, showing a high level of endemism (43.1%). According to the filters applied, 39 and 70 species were selected for GFs and LWs, respectively. To evaluate appreciation of Chilean native plants and their potential use in VGSs, an online questionnaire was responded by 428 individuals. Most participants agreed or strongly agreed with the use of LWs and/or GFs inside their house/apartment (75.5%) and in their garden/balcony (90.0%). Most of the participants agreed or strongly agreed with the use of Chilean native plants inside their house/apartment (75.0%) and in their garden/balcony (84.4%). Further empirical studies are still required to confirm the use of Chilean native species in LWs and GFs.
... Blood pressure is considered to be a major indicator of autonomic nervous system activation, and reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure indicate that the elderly are in a relaxed and less stressed state after low-intensity to moderate-intensity horticultural activities. This is similar to previous findings suggesting that transplanting and flower arrangement can be effective in relieving stress [53,54]. ...
In this study, the physiological and thermal responses of 54 healthy elderly adults during horticultural activities with various intensities (low, moderate, and high) in three typical open spaces were investigated through meteorological measurements, questionnaires, and physiological monitoring. Physiological equivalent temperature (PET), blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and ear canal temperature were used as physiological evaluation indices. The results showed that: (1) the proportional changes before and after thermal sensation vote (TSV) and thermal comfort vote (TCV) activities were positively correlated with the spatial characteristics and metabolic levels of outdoor activities in summer; (2) physiological indices were almost constant during low-intensity horticultural activities and significantly different before and after moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity horticultural activities; (3) when the intensity of horticultural activities changed from low to moderate, the neutral PET (NPET) decreased to 25.29 and 26.82 • C, respectively, whereas the NPET increased to 23.97 • C during vigorous intensity; (4) heart rate (HR) and diastolic blood pressure (SBP) were positively correlated with metabolic rate for the elderly; (5) a moderate sky view factor space was more suitable for the elderly to participate in during outdoor horticultural activities in summer.
... Ces observations font écho aux recherches de Hordyk et al. (2015) relevant que la fréquentation des EVU contribuerait à l'atténuation des impacts des conditions de logement inadéquates, en créant une « extension » du lieu de résidence et en compensant l'absence de balcon ou de cour par l'accès à un espace plus vaste où peuvent se déployer des activités de plein air. Dans ce contexte, la fréquentation des EVU du quartier à travers le Club de Marche et le fait de prendre soin de sa plante à travers le Projet Plantes ont pu permettre d'offrir aux mères et à leurs enfants l'occasion de profiter de moments de détente et de réduire le stress vécu (Hordyk et al., 2015;Lee et al., 2015). Une étude de Hordyk et al. (2014) conduite auprès des enfants migrant·e·s à Montréal montre d'ailleurs que le temps passé en nature contribuerait à leur développement, en favorisant la gestion des émotions et la réduction du stress. ...
... A sostegno della proposta sono state addotte le ricerche che comprovano un generale miglioramento della qualità dell'aria e un parallelo aumento del senso di benessere percepito, della concentrazione e dell'attenzione (Lee et al., 2015;Hartig et al., 2014). Gli interventi hanno prodotto una serie di video e immagini destinati a sensibilizzare i membri della facoltà e il pubblico e hanno raccolto molto interesse e attenzione. ...
Il contributo descrive il percorso che ha portato alla nascita del laboratorio interdisciplinare EDEN – Educational Environments with Nature – LAB e presenta alcune azioni intraprese tra il 2020 e il 2022.
Il laboratorio si occupa di documentare, accogliere e stimolare attività didattiche, ricerche e implementazioni riferite alla creazione di paesaggi educativi che sostengono il benessere e la qualità della relazione didattica, anche attraverso
l’introduzione delle piante negli spazi interni. La qualità della proposta si riconosce in un approccio interdisciplinare, che coniuga pedagogia e didattica ad architettura e design e ad altre discipline come botanica, sociologia, filosofia, per comprendere come trasformare gli spazi scolastici nell’ottica dell’abitare.
... If interacting with plants outside has positive psychological results, these benefits should also manifest indoors. A study about the subject [16] suggests that active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress. In a way, plants can make us happy by beautifying our environment. ...