“New studies suggest that exposure to nature may reduce the symptoms of ADHD,
and that it can improve all children’s cognitive abilities and resistance to negative
stress and depression.”
Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods
Research on Wilderness Therapy
Recent studies done on large numbers of wilderness therapy
participants show that at-risk adolescents do very well in wilderness
programs, especially when compared with other forms of residential
treatment. Wilderness therapy has been shown to be particularly
effective at helping troubled adolescents improve self-worth, reduce
aggressive behaviors, improve interpersonal skills and increase their
ability to form healthy relationships. This is remarkable when one
considers that most adolescents have participated in other forms of
treatment, with little or no success.
There
are a number of thoughts about what makes it effective for teens.
Among the most prevalent are: the newness of the environment helps
promote change, the intimacy of the living experience promotes more
effective alliances between counselors and clients, group cohesion is
increased by sharing the challenges and beauties of living in the
wilderness, the experiential component is especially helpful for
adolescents who primarily learn through doing as opposed to
conversation, the physicality is in itself beneficial, and that
wilderness has inherent healing power.
Longitudinal studies indicate that wilderness therapy participants do
very well both immediately after the course and one year after program
completion. However, the research also indicates that many youth tend
to struggle in-between and often returning to their pre-course behaviors
shortly after the program ends. As youth acculturate their wilderness
experience into their lives at home, they tend to climb gradually back
to their original post-course functioning. This indicates a need for
strong community-based support, as well as the inclusion of family
therapy and parent support into program design.
Additional Links and Resources
Bitterroot and Nez Perce National Forest Service
Strugglingteens.com
Article from The National Psychologist on wilderness therapy, 2007
References
Davis-Berman, J. & Berman, D. (1994a). Two-year follow-up report
for the Wilderness Therapy Program. Journal of Experiential Education,
17(1), 48-50.
Davis-Berman, J. & Berman, D. (1994b). Wilderness Therapy:
Foundations, Theory & Research. Debuye, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Davis-Berman, J., Berman, D., & Capone, L. (1994). Therapeutic
wilderness programs: A national survey. Journal of Experiential
Education, 17(2), 49-50.
Durgin, C. H. & McEwen, D. (1993). Trouble Young People after the
Adventure Program: A Case Study. In: M. Gass (editor). Adventure
Therapy: Therapeutic Applications of Adventure Programming. Debuye, IA:
Kendall/Hunt.
Gass, M. (1993). Adventure Therapy: Therapeutic Applications of Adventure Programming. Debuye, IA: Kendall/Hunt.
Russell, K. C. (1999). Theoretical Basis, Process, and Reported
Outcomes of Wilderness Therapy as an Intervention and Treatment for
Problem Behaviors in Adolescents. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation,
University of Idaho.
Russell, K. C. (2001). Assessment of Treatment Outcomes in Outdoor
Behavioral Healthcare. Idaho: University of Idaho Wilderness Research
Center, Technical Report 27.
Sakofs, M. (1991). Assessing the Impact of an Outward Bound Program on
Adjudicated Youth. Journal of Experiential Education, 14, (2), 49-50.