Exploring mental health outcome variables in outdoor adventure and experiential education
Outdoor adventure and experiential education can reduce adolescents’ and young adults’ feelings of hopelessness and anxiety while increasing their resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the mental health of young people, as evidenced by increased levels of anxiety, depression and stress. On the other hand, participation in outdoor adventure and experiential education (OAEE) can enhance the mental, emotional and social well-being of youth, according to existing research. To deepen understanding of the mental health benefits of OAEE, this study examined the impacts of participation in OAEE programs on youth’s overall mental well-being by assessing changes in resilience, anxiety, feelings of hope and depression.
Twenty-two adolescents and young adults, ranging in age from 14 to 22, who had completed an OAEE program in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. were randomly recruited to participate in the study. Online surveys were administered during the summer and fall of 2021, approximately five weeks after the conclusion of their OAEE programs. The surveys utilized four pre-existing instruments to assess mental health, including: (1) the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Seven, (2) the Beck Depression Inventory, (3) the Measuring changes in feeling hopelessness assessment, and (4) the resilience sub-scale from the Resiliency Scale for Children and Adolescence. Responses were scored to calculate an overall mental health aggregate score, with higher scores indicative of poorer mental health. To provide a measure of mental health prior to the OAEE programs, participants also completed the same surveys retrospectively based on their recalled mental health symptoms. Quantitative analysis was conducted to determine the effect of the OAEE programs from pre- to post-intervention.
For the pre-intervention scores, a number of significant relationships were detected between mental health outcomes. Prior to participation in the OAEE program, higher levels of resilience were significantly related to lower anxiety, lower depression, and better overall mental health. Higher anxiety pre-intervention was significantly related to higher depression, lower hope, and worse mental health. Post-intervention scores revealed similar associations, although the relationships between most outcomes were not strong enough to reach statistical significance. The main analysis tested for changes in mental health outcomes from pre- to post-intervention. Results indicated that after the OAEE programs, participants demonstrated significantly higher resilience and significantly lower anxiety, depression and hopelessness. Further, participants also had significantly lower aggregate mental health scores, indicating improved overall mental well-being.
Consistent with prior research which has documented therapeutic benefits of outdoor and adventure-based learning, findings “suggest that participation in an OAEE course can increase an individual’s ability to manage and mitigate feelings of hopelessness and anxiety while also increasing their levels of resilience.” The study is limited by the small sample size as well as its reliance on self-reported, retrospective data. Therefore, findings should be interpreted with caution. Nonetheless, the study provides promising insights into the mental health benefits OAEE may offer. Research should continue to investigate the effects of OAEE. Future research might also examine the mechanisms within OAEE that enable improved mental health and well-being.
Citation
Davidson, C., Ewert, A., (2024). Exploring mental health outcome variables in outdoor adventure and experiential education. Journal of Experiential Education, 47(2),
