Evidence supporting the benefits of adventure for mental health & wellbeing
Is there evidence showing that adventure is beneficial to mental health?
There is a large evidence-base supporting the benefits of adventure; over 200 published studies have examined the psychological impact of adventure (Bowen & Neill, 2013).
What might the benefits be?
Bowen & Neill conducted a meta-analysis on all published studies published before 2012 that examined adventure for therapeutic benefit. At that stage a total of 197 studies were identified including over 17,000 people. The results indicated that adventure programmes offered significant benefits across a broad range of outcomes, including:
● clinical outcomes (such as anxiety and depression)
● behaviour
● academic attainment
● physical health
● self-concept (an overarching idea we have about who we are)
● social development (improve the wellbeing of every individual within a society)
The only outcome examined where the evidence was not convincing was morality and spirituality. Fewer studies include a longer-term follow-up, but where studies did effects appear to be maintained over time.
A recent review provides an overview of the evidence regarding adventure experiences on health outcomes for children and young people. Peng and Lau (2022) reviewed a range of adventure experiences. They identified 18 published studies, the majority of which focused on adventure experiences in children and young people aged 9-18 years. Overall, they concluded that the research evidence indicates that adventure experiences produce physical, psychological and social benefits in children, including children who are healthy as well as children identified as at-risk or experiencing a health condition.
Come back soon for further updates
The AdventureMind Research Board will be publishing evidence summaries and updates here soon.