The Development and Evaluation of a Therapeutic Wilderness Program for Problem Youth.

An innovative therapeutic use of the wilderness environment was explored. A purely recreational outdoor camping program organized in 1971 for economically deprived youths subsequently developed into an outdoor therapeutic program designed for problem youth. The wilderness environment was employed as an effective treatment milieu for helping youths develop responsibility and trust. Cursory evaluation of early programs indicated the therapeutic potential of the wilderness; however, more sophisticated evaluations were needed to substantiate the reported positive outcomes. A therapeutic approach including transactional analysis, assertive training, personal causation and modeling theories was drafted and incorporated into an effective treatment modality of the Wilderness Experience Program to meet the goal of developing an overall emancipated youth. Evaluation of 124 participants in the 1973 program and of 54 participants in the winter 1974 program by two paper and pencil inventories, a self-esteem measure and a behavior rating form, indicated positive results in both programs. A control group, employed in the 1973 program design, showed no consistent improvement on these measures. Furthermore, the results suggested a transfer of the newly acquired problem solving skills learned in the wilderness environment to school and home environments upon termination from the program. The program's success demonstrates the value of an alternative form of therapeutic treatment. (Author/NQ)