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First scientific article in Frontiers in Psychology

A systematic review of reviews maps the landscape of nature-based interventions — marking the consortium's first peer-reviewed output
Frontiers in Psychology
Open Access (CC BY)

Nature-based interventions: a systematic review of reviews

Branislav Kaleta, Stephen Campbell, Jimmy O'Keeffe & Jolanta Burke
Front. Psychol. 16:1625294 2025 Forest4Youth

This article is published open-access under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This publication was developed within the framework of the Interreg North-West Europe project Forest4Youth (NWE0400643), co-funded by the European Union.

This article by Branislav Kaleta, Stephen Campbell, Jimmy O'Keeffe, and Jolanta Burke — researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and Dublin City University — is the first peer-reviewed publication produced within the Forest4Youth project. Published open-access in Frontiers in Psychology, it offers a systematic review of reviews mapping the full landscape of nature-based interventions (NBIs) in healthcare and well-being settings.

The authors classify NBIs by participant engagement level — from active interventions like wilderness therapy to passive ones like forest bathing — and by whether nature serves as the primary therapeutic agent or as a supporting context. Across 61 reviews, they identify 13 distinct categories of NBIs and 11 factors influencing their effectiveness, including social interaction, symptom severity, duration, and participant motivation.

61
reviews analysed
13
categories of nature-based interventions
11
factors influencing effectiveness

"The wide spectrum of nature-based interventions offers unique mechanisms for improving mental, physical, and social wellbeing — the challenge is matching the right intervention to the right person."

— Kaleta et al., 2025

This typology is directly relevant to the work Forest4Youth is undertaking: developing evidence-based, forest-centred care protocols for adolescents across North-West Europe.

Abstract

Background: Nature-based interventions are emerging as an alternative to therapeutic approaches aimed to reduce and prevent mental and physical ailments. However, little is known of the types of interventions available to use by healthcare professionals. This systematic review of reviews aimed to classify and categorise different types of Nature-Based Interventions (NBIs) which currently exist under different names and approaches. The second aim was to explore the mediating and moderating factors impacting NBI effectiveness.

Methods: The systematic review used the narrative synthesis approach following the PRISMA guidelines, using the databases Academic Search Complete, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, MEDLINE. The quality review was conducted using AMSTAR-2.

Results: The review included 61 reviews covering 13 categories of NBIs: nature-based interventions, horticulture, nature exposure, green exercise, wilderness and adventure therapy, forest therapy, blue space interventions, care farming, nature play, nature-based education, environmental volunteerism, immersive nature experiences, and caring for country. Furthermore, 11 moderating and mediating factors were identified.

Conclusion: The review found a wide variety of NBIs, showcasing the many options available to individuals and healthcare professionals offering accessible and cost-effective NBIs.

Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42023491598).

The full article is freely accessible on the Frontiers platform. For questions about the research, contact the corresponding author Branislav Kaleta.


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Partners Across Five Countries Gather in Namur for the Forest4Youth Steering Committee