Effectiveness of nature therapies for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis.
Marian van der Sloot, Peter Reniers, Trijntje Völlink et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis assessed nature therapies for adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It included 11 studies with 654 participants; six contributed to the meta-analysis. Most studies reported reduced PTSD symptoms after nature therapy. The pooled pre- to post-intervention estimate showed a large effect (Cohen's d = -0.82 [-1.14, -0.50] (k = 3), p < .001), whereas the comparison between experimental and control groups was not statistically significant (Cohen's d = -2.11 [-4.61, 0.39] (k = 3), p = .098).
Key findings
- Most included studies reported significant PTSD symptom reductions after participation in nature therapy.
- Pre- to post-intervention outcomes showed a large pooled effect: Cohen's d = -0.82 [-1.14, -0.50] (k = 3), p < .001.
- The experimental-versus-control comparison was not significant: Cohen's d = -2.11 [-4.61, 0.39] (k = 3), p = .098.
Why it matters
The findings suggest nature-based interventions may have a role as a complementary approach to PTSD care. However, improvement from before to after treatment does not establish benefit over a control condition, so the comparative result is important when interpreting the apparent symptom reductions.
What to keep in mind
The estimates rely on a small number of studies, and the authors describe the meta-analysis as exploratory; the experimental-versus-control estimate was not significant.