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Forest4Youth

Forest-Based Therapies for Adolescent Mental Health Recovery in North-West Europe


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3,322,847.88 €
EU Funding
5,538,079.80 €
Total Budget
2025-2028
Timeline
Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland & Luxembourg
Countries

Project summary



Adolescent users of mental health services are a highly vulnerable population. In North-West Europe, 17.5% of young people suffer from mental health problems — at a time when dedicated services are saturated and innovative care options remain scarce.

Research has shown promising results for therapies based on immersion in the forest, particularly for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Taking advantage of the region's 20%+ woodland coverage, Forest4Youth brings together nine partners across psychiatry, forestry, and research to develop structured, evidence-based interventions for adolescents.

The project co-designs its approach with adolescents, families, mental health professionals, foresters, and public authorities from day one — through Patient and Public Involvement and local focus groups across all five countries.

17.5%
of young people in NWE experience mental health problems
20%+
woodland coverage available across the NWE region
9
partner organisations across 5 countries working together
8
therapeutic forest pilot sites to be established by 2028


Why forests? Why now?

Forest-based therapy can be a structured,
evidence-based clinical complement to psychiatric care — and it is not yet available in North-West Europe.

The challenge

Mental health services dedicated to adolescents across North-West Europe are saturated. Depression, anxiety, behavioural disorders, and trauma affect over 3.5 million young people in the region — and suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents.

Mental health disorder rates among teenagers exceed the EU average in all partner countries: Germany (17%), Belgium (19.5%), Luxembourg (19%), France (20%), and Ireland (16%). Psychiatric services are under sustained pressure, and professionals are actively seeking evidence-based, non-drug alternatives.

Research has demonstrated the psychological and physiological benefits of forest immersion — particularly for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Yet these therapies are not yet formally implemented in NWE, despite the region's 20%+ woodland coverage. Forest4Youth is changing that.

3.5M+
Young people affected by mental health disorders in NWE
2nd
Leading cause of adolescent death: suicide
The approach

Forest4Youth takes advantage of the NWE region's extensive woodland to develop and test a co-designed, clinically validated care protocol — built from the ground up by mental health professionals and foresters working together for the first time at this scale.

The project integrates two complementary modalities: guided immersion in real therapeutic forests, and virtual reality (VR) sessions that replicate forest environments for adolescents who cannot access outdoor spaces due to their conditions.

"The innovation lies in the strong joint collaboration between the mental health and forest sectors — two disciplines that have rarely worked together at this scale in North-West Europe."

"From the very beginning, the entire process involves input and feedback from the adolescents targeted, their families, mental health and forestry professionals, public authorities, and experts."

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