Defense Date

10-16-2025

Graduation Date

Fall 12-19-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Jered Kolbert

Committee Member

Gibbs Kanyongo

Committee Member

Michael Sickles

Keywords

Wilderness Therapy, Adolescent, Mental Health, Family Involvement

Abstract

This study explored the impact of wilderness therapy on adolescent and family functioning using archival data from a licensed outdoor behavioral healthcare program. The purpose of this research was to examine both individual and systemic changes over the course of treatment and to explore whether improvements in family functioning were associated with youth outcomes. The final sample included 1,293 adolescents who completed the Youth Outcome Questionnaire (Y-OQ 2.01) at intake and discharge. A subset of 454 adolescents and their caregivers also completed the Family Assessment Device (FAD) at both time points. Paired-sample t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements in both adolescent psychological functioning and family relational health from intake to discharge. These results support the efficacy of wilderness therapy in reducing adolescent vi distress and enhancing family functioning. However, multiple regression analyses showed that changes in family functioning, reported separately by adolescents and caregivers, did not significantly predict changes in youth outcomes. This suggests that while both domains improved over time, they may reflect parallel rather than predictive trajectories. Findings contribute to the growing literature supporting nature-based interventions and emphasize the importance of assessing both individual and family-level change. Results have implications for clinical practice, program design, and future research on the mechanisms of change in experiential, systems-oriented treatment models for youth and families.

Language

English

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