Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Effects of Plant-Emitted Monoterpenes on Anxiety: A Propensity-Matched Observational Cohort Study

Davide Donelli
ORCID logo ,
Francesco Meneguzzo
* ORCID logo ,
Michele Antonelli
ORCID logo ,
Diego Ardissino
,
Giampaolo Niccoli
,
Giorgio Gronchi
ORCID logo ,
Rita Baraldi
,
Luisa Neri
,
Federica Zabini
Version 1 : Received: 30 December 2022 / Approved: 31 December 2022 / Online: 31 December 2022 (08:04:39 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Donelli, D.; Meneguzzo, F.; Antonelli, M.; Ardissino, D.; Niccoli, G.; Gronchi, G.; Baraldi, R.; Neri, L.; Zabini, F. Effects of Plant-Emitted Monoterpenes on Anxiety Symptoms: A Propensity-Matched Observational Cohort Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2773. Donelli, D.; Meneguzzo, F.; Antonelli, M.; Ardissino, D.; Niccoli, G.; Gronchi, G.; Baraldi, R.; Neri, L.; Zabini, F. Effects of Plant-Emitted Monoterpenes on Anxiety Symptoms: A Propensity-Matched Observational Cohort Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 2773.

Abstract

Immersive experiences in green areas and particularly in forests have long been known to produce beneficial effects for human health. However, the exact determinants and mechanisms leading to healthy outcomes remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether inhaling plant-emitted biogenic volatile compounds, namely monoterpenes (MTs), can produce specific effects on anxiety. Data from 505 subjects participating in 39 structured forest therapy sessions in different Italian sites, were collected. Monoterpenes air concentration was measured at each site. STAI State questionnaires were administered before and after the sessions as a measure of anxiety. A propensity score matching analysis was then performed, considering an above-average exposure to inhalable air MTs as the treatment: the estimated effect was -1.28 STAI-S points (95% C.I. -2.51 to -0.06, p = 0.04), indicating that the average effect of exposure to high MT air concentrations during forest therapy sessions is to decrease anxiety.

Keywords

Anxiety; Biogenic volatile organic compounds; Forest therapy; Monoterpenes; α-Pinene; Propensity matching.

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Psychiatry and Mental Health

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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