Oral 02 | Mechanisms and effectiveness of adventure therapy experiencing trauma/chronic stress
Tracks
Track 9
| Friday, May 15, 2020 |
| 1:30 PM - 3:10 PM |
Presenter(s)
A/Prof Amy Mullens
University Of Southern Queensland
Oral 02 | Mechanisms and effectiveness of adventure therapy experiencing trauma/chronic stress
1:50 PM - 2:10 PMOutline
Aim: To conduct a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify potential underlying mechanisms of Adventure Therapy (AT); and examine effectiveness of AT in ameliorating effects of trauma and chronic stress (TCS) among adults over 25. Background: TCS pose adverse impacts on everyday activities (physically, psychologically). AT is an emergent psychological intervention to treat TCS. AT includes outdoor-typed interventions, directed by therapists, that involve engaging in adventurous activities to enact change in thoughts and behaviour. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute framework was used. Relevant literature was identified via searching relevant databases. Included studies were peer-reviewed, in English and focused on adults experiencing trauma and chronic stress. Results: A total of 216 articles were identified during initial screening. After removal of duplicates a total of 184 articles remained. Titles and abstracts were screened resulting in 146 articles being removed with a total of 38 remaining for full text review. The selection process resulted in 6 articles from which 33 articles were identified as potential studies for inclusion using forward and backwards searching strategies. A total of 11 articles were included for review. The interventions explored varied under the umbrella of Adventure Therapy and included: therapeutic fly-fishing, Ocean Therapy, sailing nature adventure rehabilitation, outward bound experience, Deptherapy, Huey helicopter rides, recreation-based health and wellness retreat, nature-based recreation and Adventure Therapy (tree climbing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, problem solving games/challenges). Conclusion: A greater understanding of AT was explored to determine if and how effective the intervention is with adults over the age of 25, and what mechanisms determine its effectiveness. Benefits of outcomes, from the systematic literature review, include assisting healthcare professionals to make informed choices regarding AT as an option for adults experiencing TCS. It will also assist in directing future research in the area of AT.
Biography
Associate Professor Amy Mullens is a Clinical and Health Psychologist in Queensland (since 2001). She has worked across public, private, academic and community settings, focussing on clinical/health psychology, mental health, public health and chronic conditions. As a former Senior Clinician/Team Leader with Queensland Health, she provided leadership regarding projects in applied clinical research in screening prevention and management of chronic conditions and has lead numerous clinical governance initiatives. Amy completed her Clinical Psychology Master’s degree (behavioural medicine) in USA in 2001; and later completed a PhD in Psychology at QUT in 2011. Amy’s current role is Associate Professor and she is responsible for training post-graduate psychologists, supervising Honours and post-graduate theses/HDR projects, and leading the Research Program Team “Health, Care & Social Justice”—and inter-disciplinary research team clinical/health psychology, health behaviour change, and chronic condition screening, prevention and management to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities among priority groups. She also holds a Visiting Research Fellow role with Queensland University of Technology. Amy has co-authored 25 peer-reviewed journal articles and two book chapters in health psychology (h index = 9; total citations =664). Her recent collaborative research projects with industry and other community and academic partners have focused on improving the lives and well-being of those living with or at risk of chronic conditions (among marginalized communities), including external funding in the past 5 years from competitive grants, as Primary Investigator of over $700,000.
