Abstract
Background
Extensive research into wilderness therapy has not explored who benefits the most and who does not thrive in these programs.
Objective
The present study examined demographic, clinical, and familial characteristics that distinguished adolescents who improve most in wilderness therapy programs from those who deteriorate.
Method
Using data collected by the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs Practice Research Network, the study sample consisted of 5639 adolescents attending wilderness therapy programs which collected and contributed data to the Practice Research Network between 2017 and 2022. Measures included the Youth Outcome Questionnaire-Self Report and the McMaster Family Assessment Device, as well as demographic, familial, and clinical data collected by program staff.
Results
Using binary and univariate logistic regression, the study found individual and familial factors that predicted membership in the top 10% of adolescent participants in terms of mental health improvement from pre-to-post wilderness therapy and those factors which predicted membership in the bottom 10% in terms of poorer mental health from pre-to-post program.
Conclusions
Considering the intensity, length, and financial resources associated with wilderness therapy program participation, these findings have important implications for wilderness therapy program staff professional development, communication of expectations to adolescents’ parents/caregivers, and program admission decisions.
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Availability of Data and Materials
The data utilized in this study may be available via reasonable request to the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center which owns and manages it.
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Acknowledgements
The researchers thank program clients and their caregivers for completing these surveys during challenging time. The researchers also thank the staff who found the time during demanding job duties to complete assessments.
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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The fourth author received a research assistantship from the Outdoor Behavioral Heathcare Center. The fifth author works for Pine River Institute, a non-profit live-in care program for youths in Canada that has a wilderness therapy component. Pine River Institute did not contribute data to this dataset.
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Bettmann, J.E., Martinez-Gutierrez, N., Esrig, R. et al. Who Declines and Who Improves in Wilderness Therapy?. Child Youth Care Forum (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-023-09781-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-023-09781-6