Objective:

To know the state of the art regarding the implementation of forest therapy in the elderly and the effects obtained from its use.

Methodology:

An integrative review was carried out by means of a search in the following databases: Biblioteca Virtual en Salud (BVS), PubMed, Web of Science (WOS) and CINAHL. The search strategy used was: "forest therap*" OR "forest bath*". Included were: primary articles, with the theme of forest therapy intervention, in Spanish, Portuguese and English, in which the intervention subjects are elderly people (60 years or older).

Results:

5 articles were included, all of Asian origin. The evidenced effects of the use of forest therapy in elderly people were biological (cardiovascular health, cognitive impairment) and psychological (improvement in mood).

Conclusions:

There are arguments that support the use of forest therapy interventions in older people because of their positive physical and psychological effects on those who use them. This indicates that forest therapy in the elderly can be considered as an asset for health, since the activities carried out in forests favor the health and well-being of people.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )