Research

Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare is a relatively new field in the treatment of adolescents struggling with behavioral, substance abuse, and mental health issues. OBHIC has been instrumental in facilitating research to study the efficacy of this treatment modality.

The research has established that wilderness treatment programs are effective and are successful in helping struggling adolescents.

OBHIC Facilitated Research:

  • Does Wilderness Treatment Work? Does It Last?Russell, K.C. (2005). Two years later: A qualitative assessment of youth-well-being and the role of aftercare in outdoor behavioral healthcare treatment. Child and Youth Care Forum, 34, 3, 209-239.

    Russell, K.C. (2003). Assessing treatment outcomes in outdoor behavioral healthcare using the Youth Outcome Questionnaire. Child and Youth Care Forum. 32, 6, 355-381.

    Russell, K.C. (2004). Two years later A qualitative assessment of youth-well-being and the role of aftercare in outdoor behavioral healthcare treatment. Technical Report 1, Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, School of Health and Human Services, University of New Hampshire, Durham NH. 43 pp.

    Russell, K.C. (2002). A longitudinal assessment of treatment outcomes in outdoor behavioral healthcare. Technical Report 28, Idaho Forest Wildlife and Range Experiment Station, Moscow, ID. 35 pp.

    Russell, K. C. (2002). Does outdoor behavioral healthcare work? A review of studies on the effectiveness of OBH as an intervention and treatment. Journal of Therapeutic Camping, Summer/Fall, 2, 1, 5-12.

  • Drugs, and Getting Motivated to Give Them UpRussell, K.C. (2007). Adolescence substance use treatment: Service delivery, research on effectiveness, and emerging treatment alternatives. Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery,2(2-4), 68-96.

    Russell, K.C. (2006). Depressive symptom and substance use frequency outcome in outdoor behavioral healthcare. Technical Report 1, December 2006, Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 62 pp.

  • Mental Health Issues: Depression, Anxiety and StressRussell, K.C. (2007). Adolescence substance use treatment: Service delivery, research on effectiveness, and emerging treatment alternatives. Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery,2(2-4), 68-96.

    Russell, K.C. (2006). Depressive symptom and substance use frequency outcome in outdoor behavioral healthcare. Technical Report 1, December 2006, Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 62 pp.

  • The Therapeutic AllianceRussell, K.C. (2007). Summary of research in the Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative from 1999-2006. Technical Report 2, February 2007, Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Research Cooperative, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 52 pp.
  • Risk in the WildernessRussell, K. C. & Harper, N. (2006). Incident monitoring in outdoor behavioral healthcare programs: A four-year summary of restraint, runaway, injury, and illness rates. Journal of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, 1, 1, 70-90.
  • Family Involvement (PDF)