Community Coping Skills Enhanced by an Adventure Camp for Adult Chronic Psychiatric Patients
William H. Banaka Ph.D.1 and
Delton W. Young Ph.D.2
1 California State University, Chico, California 95929
2 The Psychology Department at McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178
The effect of a two-week wilderness camp on ten skillareas related to community survival of the chronic mentally ill was assessed both by participants, who were adult chronic psychiatric patients from two Oregon state mental hospitals, and by camp and hospital staff. Compared with 30 controls, the 48 participants improved on seven of the ten areas by the end of camp and maintained their improvements in four of the seven areas for several weeks following their return to the hospital. Although discharge and recidivism rates for participants and controls did not differ at six-month follow-up, participants spent a greater proportion of time in the community than did controls. The authors discuss the specific skills improved by the program and those that contributed to duration of community survival, as well as the program's cost-effectiveness.
Note:
The authors appreciate the support of the Truman Collins Foundation of Portland, Oregon, toward the 1972 and 1982 adventure camps. They also thank the patients and staff at Oregon State Hospital in Salem and Dammasch State Hospital in Wilsonville who helped to organize, implement, and evaluate the wilderness camp program.
