Exploring the Psychological and Physiological Impact of a Nature-Based Therapy Activities on Individuals with Severe Stress in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Despite global research emphasizing the benefits of nature-based therapy, particularly for stress conditions, there is a notable lack of attention to this approach within the Sri Lankan context. This study aims to bridge this gap by evaluating the physiological and psychological effects of a one-day (6hrs) forest retreat on individuals experiencing higher stress levels through nature-based therapy activities. This is a cross-sectional study. A sample of a hundred participants were selected through convenient sampling by employing a mixed method. The stress levels of these participants were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). Ten participants were chosen based on their high-stress levels. Then again, perceived stress and physiological measures such as blood pressure, and pulse rate were collected before and after the nature-based therapy activities. The intervention produced important physiological changes in the participants as reflected by changes in a number of cardiovascular parameters. There was positive shifting in the pulse rate variability which reduced to 87.4 from 92.0 beats per minute (bpm) immediately after the intervention. Likewise, the cardiovascular measurements also had positive changes with the systolic blood pressure decreasing by 2.1 mmHg to 132.9 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure also having a slight decrease from 84.9 to 84.0 mm Hg. Another particularly interesting result was the large decrease in the participants’ self-reported stress levels which decreased from 34.3 to 26.9 on the perceived stress scale, thus moving from high to moderate stress categories.  These results support the potential of nature-based interventions as a therapeutic approach that targets not only the psychological dimensions of stress but also its physiological markers and thus suggest their potential as a holistic treatment approach.