Serrat, Mayte, Royuela-Colomer, Estíbaliz, Alonso-Marsol, Sandra et al. · Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025 · DOI
This study looked at whether spending time walking quietly in a forest could help people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia feel better. Forty-four participants took a 3-hour guided walk through a Mediterranean forest, and researchers measured their pain, fatigue, anxiety, and mood before and after. Most symptoms improved after the walk, especially anxiety and negative feelings, though pain levels didn't change significantly.
This research offers preliminary support for an accessible, low-cost non-pharmacological intervention that may reduce anxiety and improve mood in ME/CFS patients. For a population with limited treatment options, evidence of psychological benefit from nature-based activities could inform complementary care strategies and quality-of-life interventions.
This study does not establish that forest bathing is effective for reducing pain or fatigue in ME/CFS, nor does it prove lasting benefits beyond the immediate post-activity period. Without a control group, it cannot definitively separate the effects of forest exposure from placebo effects, expectation, or the simple benefit of guided social activity. The results may not generalize to other climates, forest types, or populations.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Serrat, Mayte, Royuela-Colomer, Estíbaliz, Alonso-Marsol, Sandra, Ferrés, Sònia, Nieto, Ruben, Feliu-Soler, Albert, et al. (2025). The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13141654
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-serrat-2025-psychological-benefits,
author = {Serrat, Mayte and Royuela-Colomer, Estíbaliz and Alonso-Marsol, Sandra and Ferrés, Sònia and Nieto, Ruben and Feliu-Soler, Albert and Muro, Anna},
title = {The Psychological Benefits of Forest Bathing in Individuals with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Pilot Study.},
journal = {Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3390/healthcare13141654},
note = {PubMed: 40724680},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/serrat-2025-psychological-benefits},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/serrat-2025-psychological-benefits
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