Forest therapy as a public health tool: A bibliometric analysis of global research trends and future directions

The restoration of human-nature connectedness through forest therapy may provide a promising method for addressing modern well-being challenges. In history, human evolution has been deeply intertwined with forests for millennia, yet rapid urbanization since the Industrial Revolution has diminished human-nature interactions, contributing to declines in psychological well-being. In this context, forest therapy, a nature-based therapy, has garnered increasing attention, with its efficacy in improving people's physical and mental health, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era. This paper utilizes bibliometric methods, specifically literature growth trend analysis, country/regional collaboration network analysis, author influence evaluation, and keyword co-occurrence and clustering analysis, to systematically analyze studies from the last two decades on forest therapy. The results show that the number of relevant papers and citations has increased rapidly in the last 20 years, especially in the last 10 years. In terms of countries/regions, Japan is in the most dominant position. From the perspective of the evolution trend of keywords, future research will concentrate on forest therapy recovering and improving from the COVID-19-related physical and emotional health impacts, as well as the physical and mental health of the elderly. In addition, keyword evolution also indicates that, in specific practices, it may be necessary to vigorously promote the development of urban and peri-urban forests and virtual reality (VR) forest experiences. Then, we offer perspectives on current research gaps, future practical actions (including researchers and policymakers), and potential advances in relevant bibliometric methodologies. Overall, our findings underscore forest therapy’s potential as a public health tool and call for targeted urban green infrastructure development.