What is Wilderness Therapy?

Russell, Keith

doi:10.1177/105382590102400203

Cited by 114 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Nature has started to be incorporated into therapy in a variety of ways, from counselling in outdoor settings (Berger & McLeod, 2006), to gardening for stress relief (Adevi & Martensson, 2013) or wilderness therapy, which additionally incorporates an element of adventure or challenge (Russell, 2001). White's (2012) Mindful Affective Perception Imagination in Nature (MAPIN) strategy, which involves meditation and mindfulness in nature, reportedly leads to feelings of awe, calm, joy and a sense of connection with the universe, while the Canadian Mental Health Association has trained mental health organisations across Ontario in running hiking programmes in nature for adults with mental illness; so far, the results of these "Mood Walks" show significantly greater energy and happiness levels and decreased anxiety (Mood Walks, 2015).…”

Section: Nature-based Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hamann¹,

Ivtzan²

2016

SIIW

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Considering the lack of nature-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs), the present study examined the effects of Rewild Your Life (RYL), an online intervention programme that challenges users to spend 30 minutes a day in nature for 30 days. Participants who completed RYL (n=35) showed significant increases in mood, well-being, mindfulness and meaning compared to the control group (n=27). The effect was stronger when participants spent at least 30 minutes in nature, and meaning and mindfulness were affected only in "wilderness" but not urban "greenspace" (e.g., parks). Findings emphasise the importance of access to natural spaces, especially considering that people are spending increasing amounts of time indoors and disconnecting from nature, and the importance of increasing access to greenspace is discussed.

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Section: Nature-based Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

Hamann¹,

Ivtzan²

2016

SIIW

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“…Similar commonly used terms include adventure therapy (Gass et al, 2012), wilderness therapy (Russell, 2001), and bush adventure therapy (Pryor, Carpenter, & Townsend, 2005). In theory, the combination of these elements can provide a holistic integration of physical, mental, emotional, behavioral, social, cultural, spiritual, and environmental experiences in support of participants' personal growth and may strengthen their connections to others and community (Pryor et al, 2005;Pryor & Field, 2007).…”

Section: Outdoor Adventure Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Profile of Outdoor Adventure Interventions for Young People in Australia

Bowen

Neill

Williams

et al. 2016

JOREL

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In this study, we describe characteristics of outdoor adventure interventions (OAIs) that aim to address problem behaviors in young people in Australia. A national online survey was completed by 98 program leaders and 24 program managers. OAIs for youth in Australia are diverse, but typically incorporate several days in the outdoors, during which participants engage in adventure activities and group activities requiring teamwork, with intentional involvement of program leaders. The main outcomes, as perceived by staff, were recreation and personal and social development. OAIs appear to be well positioned to make a unique and valuable contribution to the development of young people, addressing their behavior problems and potentially supporting prevention and treatment of mental health problems. A more targeted, sector-wide study of adventure therapy programs in Australia is recommended to qualify and extend on the findings of this study.

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“…The OBH model asserts that a contextual shift away from the home environment, where problems are being maintained, provides an important backdrop for individuals to change behavior. The OBH therapeutic modality has been presented extensively elsewhere (Gass, Gillis, & Russell, 2012;Newes, & Bandoroff, 2004;Russell, 2001) and an exhaustive review is beyond the scope of this article; thus, only the essentials will be provided. Importantly, individuals are fully disengaged from their previous environments, including contact with individuals outside treatment, either faceto-face or through telecommunication devices.…”

Section: Treatment Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…;Russell, 2003). While programs are heterogeneous at this time, they contain select core components (Russell, 2001(Russell, , 2006a. Group process, experiential learning, peak experiences, unfamiliar environments, and natural consequences are postulated as some of the primary mechanisms of action (Bandoroff & Scherer, 1994;Newes & Bandoroff, 2004;Russell, 2001).…”

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confidence: 99%

A Novel Investigation of Substance Use Outcomes in Substance-Specific Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs

Lewis¹

2018

JTSP

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Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) are one of the greatest public health burdens to date. Available evidence suggests that despite the availability of evidencebased therapeutic interventions, successful recovery from alcohol and drug dependence is hard to achieve and much harder to maintain over time. Further, young adults present with unique risk factors and tend to have a less optimal response to treatment. Consequently, a novel treatment has been developed in an effort to improve outcomes for young adults with SUDs. Substance-specific outdoor behavioral healthcare (S-OBH; term developed by the author for clarity herein) may be more appealing to young adults who have resisted or responded poorly to inpatient drug and alcohol treatment, which is identified as the standard of care. The current study sought to investigate whether S-OBH interventions are equivalent to the standard of care, using a non-inferiority design. The sample was 256 young adults (Mage = 25.8) presenting for treatment at one of two experimental treatment sites or the active comparison site, residential treatment for SUDs. Primary study hypotheses were that S-OBH treatment would be associated with similar symptomatic improvements, relative to the comparison condition, particularly relevant to symptoms of SUDs and overall quality of life. Secondly, S-OBH would be associated with the maintenance of the hypothesized treatment gains during the 12-month follow-up period. Findings were consistent with hypotheses, suggesting that participants evidenced significant symptomatic reductions and maintained these improvements over a 12-month follow-up period, regardless of treatment condition. Results are discussed in terms of better understanding factors associated with a positive response to SUD interventions.

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What is Wilderness Therapy?

Cited by 114 publications

References 7 publications

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Untitled

A Profile of Outdoor Adventure Interventions for Young People in Australia

A Novel Investigation of Substance Use Outcomes in Substance-Specific Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs

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