Forest Bathing Intervention for Persons Living with Dementia and Family Carers

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Caregiver Mental Health; Dementia

Treatments: Behavioral: Art activity; Behavioral: Forest Bathing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06813196

EA240180

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a forest bathing intervention for people living with dementia and their family carers, and examined its effectivness on care burden and quality of life by comparing to an art activty programme as control group.

Enrollment: 107 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• For family careivers:
• taking care of a family member living with dementia in the community,
• For people living with dementia:
• Clinical diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia

Exclusion criteria

• For both:
• Unable to communicate in Chinese or Cantonese
• Unable to participate meaningfully in group activities due to intellectual disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment, or other health conditions, were excluded.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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107 participants in 2 patient groups

Forest bathing

Experimental group

Description:

The modified forest bathing intervention was designed by a qualified forest therapist certified by the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. The intervention protocol was developed based on existing forest bathing protocol and modified after field-testing with family caregivers. The intervention consisted of 3 sessions, delivered every two weeks, with approximately two hours per session. Each session took place at a suitable park in the participant's community. During the session, a group of 6 to 8 dyads of people living with dementia and their caregivers were guided by a trained forest therapy guide to engage in nature-based activities, such as walking in the woods, listening to the nature, and interacting with objects in the nature through different sensations. In between sessions, caregivers were encouraged to guide the PLwD and practice similar nature-based activities at times and locations at their convenience.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Forest Bathing

Art activity

Active Comparator group

Description:

The art activity intervention was modified from usual art activity session organised by the social service providers for family caregivers and PLwD. It consisted of 3 sessions, delivered every two weeks, with approximately two hours per session. Each session took place in an elderly community centre in the participant's neighbourhood. During the session, participants were guided to engage in individual or collaborative art activities of different forms, such as photo frame of dried flowers, plushball painting, and paper quilling. All the sessions were delivered by a social worker or program worker with experience in art-based activities.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Art activity