A Wilderness Therapy Program as an Alternative to Adolescent Psychiatric Hospitalization

Abstract

In two pilot backpacking trips, 14 adolescent inpatients were taken from acute psychiatric hospitals into the wilder ness. Patients selected were either withdrawn or acting out, except for four adolescents diagnosed as ADD or conduct disordered. The former group showed greater change than the latter on a variety of measures including treatment plan objectives, behavioral symptomatology and locus of control. In general, change during the Wilderness Therapy Program (WTP) was more rapid than during other phases of hospitalization. Future research should employ more controls and a larger sample of patients. WTP appears to be a promising alternative to traditional programs.