Ian R. Williams’s research while affiliated with University of Melbourne and other places

This paper describes a quasi-experimental crossover trial of an outdoor adventure program for Year 9 school students in Australia. Previous studies have reported a range of positive outcomes of outdoor camps and adventure programs, but cautious interpretation of some claims may be warranted due to limitations in research methods. This study examines a purpose-designed, seven-day outdoor adventure program intended to promote positive adjustment in young people. A total of 335 participants (aged 14–16 years) were recruited from across two Victorian secondary schools. In year 1 (2015), students from school A were recruited to the outdoor program while students from school B were recruited to a control group. In the second year (2016) the roles of each school were switched (crossed over). Outcome measures assessed on five occasions included a range of self-reported social and emotional health indicators. While quantitative analyses did not find support for positive, universal effects of our program, qualitative information gathered across the course of the study suggested that the outdoor program may have been both impactful and positive for some students. This complex picture suggests that effects of the outdoor adventure experience were quite variable amongst participants. Reasons for this pattern of findings are discussed, including the possibility that our quantitative measures may have been insensitive to some benefits. Future work should examine salient moderators of the beneficial effects of outdoor adventure experiences.

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which participation in structured outdoor programs is associated with improvements in adolescent health and well-being. Students (n = 160) were recruited from three secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Adolescents completed online surveys 3 weeks before camp (Time 1), 1 week before camp (Time 2), and 1 week after camp (Time 3). Positive changes were observed on some indicators of emotional well-being (fear and self-efficacy), as well as peer and school connectedness. No camp effects were found for depression, aggression, well-being, friend connectedness, teacher connectedness, and nature connectedness. Results support the view that structured outdoor programs may have a beneficial effect on well-being. However, effects were not ubiquitous (they were domain specific), which warrants further investigation. Subscribe to JOREL

This paper presents a research protocol for a quasi-experimental crossover trial of an outdoor adventure program for Year 9 school students in Australia. Previous studies have reported a range of positive outcomes of outdoor camps and adventure programs but warrant cautious interpretation due to limitations in research methods typically employed. This study takes place over a period of 36 months and examines a purpose-designed, seven-day outdoor program (camp) intended to promote positive adjustment in young people. Up to 400 participants (ages 14–16 years) will be recruited from across two Victorian secondary schools. Outcome measures include self-reported social and emotional health, and teacher-reported ratings of academic performance and school conduct. Results will be of interest to educators internationally and those involved in improving social and emotional health in adolescents.

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.