Wellbeing and nature connectedness for emerging adult undergraduates after a short expedition: A small pilot study

Abstract

Issue addressed: Emerging adult university undergraduates are a vulnerable population due to various life stressors. Previous studies have reported a range of positive outcomes from outdoor expeditions for this population. This small pilot study aimed to investigate the impacts of an outdoor expedition on wellbeing and connectedness to nature and possible confounding by gender and living environment.Methods: A sample of 54 Health and Physical Education emerging adult undergraduates in the second year of their four-year degree completed a 3-day/2-night immersion expedition. Pre-post differences and a repeated-measures analysis with confounders examined the expedition's impact on scores from the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale and Connectedness to Nature Scale.Results: Involvement in a short expedition resulted in improvements to wellbeing and connectedness to nature. Females reported a stronger connectedness to nature than males, while living environments may affect well-being. Conclusions/So what?:Incorporating regular contact with nature into the structure of undergraduate programs may improve wellbeing and protect this population's mental and emotional health. In a world adjusting to the effects of a global pandemic, opportunities for teaching in non-traditional classrooms (such as outdoors) may also protect physical health.

Elucidating human–nature connectedness in three EU countries: A pro‐environmental behaviour perspective

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“I love being in the outdoors”: A qualitative descriptive study of outdoor adventure education program components for adolescent wellbeing

“…The impacts of OAE on adolescents may result in several psychological domain benefits, namely wellbeing, self‐efficacy, individual empowerment, resilience, and social connectedness (Down et al, 2021; Rose et al, 2018; Williams et al, 2018). “Wellbeing” is defined as the experience of happiness, prosperity, and health exemplified through stable psychological functioning and mental health, high life satisfaction, the ability to develop and maintain mutually beneficial relationships, the ability to manage stress, and a sense of purpose (Patton et al, 2016; White et al, 2019).…”

e‐Delphi in the outdoors: Stakeholder contributions to the development of a wellbeing‐focused outdoor adventure education intervention program

“…One field that may be protective for adolescent mental health and wellbeing is outdoor adventure education (OAE), which aims for personal growth and development in its participants through the planning and implementation of activities or experiences that contain risk, as well as promoting connections between humans and the natural environment through the use of natural settings (e.g. forests or bushland) 3,4 . In OAE, psychosocial outcomes for the individual may be uncertain, but through the influence of circumstance or the participants themselves (through individual or group‐consensus problem‐solving), the challenges inherent in activities can be overcome 4 .…”

“…forests or bushland). 3,4 In OAE, psychosocial outcomes for the individual may be uncertain, but through the influence of circumstance or the participants themselves (through individual or group-consensus problem-solving), the challenges inherent in activities can be overcome. 4 Examples of typical OAE activities perceived as risky or fear-inducing for participants include rock climbing, white-water paddling (e.g.…”

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