A clinical model of wilderness therapy includes three major factors: wilderness, physical self and psychosocial self.

Wilderness therapy (WT) is a treatment approach undertaken in remote, backcountry places. Typical clients of WT programs include adolescents with substance abuse and mental health issues. This research aimed to gain a better understanding of who might benefit from WT, how and why, by asking the adolescent clients themselves.

Participants for this study included 148 WT clients (age 13 – 19) at the Pine River Institute (PRI), a Canadian residential treatment program for youth with addictive behavior and mental health issues. The wilderness component of their treatment program involved spending several weeks in a large provincial park camping, canoeing, hiking, snowshoeing, participating in group initiatives, engaging in group and individual therapy, and journaling. While 11 of the 148 clients participated in the WT experience for less than 6 weeks, most of them (75%) engaged in the program between 6 and 9 weeks. Immediately after their WT experience, the research participants responded to a written survey with open-ended questions about their overall experience and perceived outcomes.

Responses yielded six major themes --  three depicting participant experiences(social dynamics, wilderness, catalyst for change) and three for perceived outcomes (skill development, self-concept, health). The overall findings provide general support for a clinical model of WT consisting of three major factors: wilderness, physical self and psychosocial self. The wilderness factor, however, is not supported in a way that was anticipated, nor do the findings support much of the current WT literature related to connection to nature, time for reflection, or nature as metaphor. Social and adventure factors – rather than nature – were identified by the clients as catalysts for change. The clients did, however, identify wilderness as an effective setting for addressing addictive behavior and mental health issues. The fact that some clients seemed to find the wilderness setting and different aspects of the program a better “fit” than other clients suggests that WT might not be ideal for all youth.

These findings suggest that further research is warranted. “A more in-depth narrative approach to 'youth voice' research could be undertaken to capture the context and sequence of a youth experience in WT and increase their reflexive engagement in the treatment process.”