Comparing Treatment Outcomes of Young Adult Males and Females in Wilderness Therapy Programs through a Gender Schema Len

Rates of mental health and substance use issues are on the rise, particularly within the young adult population. With more young adults struggling with mental health and substance use issues effective treatment options are imperative. In addition to increasing rates of mental health and substance use issues, young adults are less likely to seek treatment and those that do drop out at higher rates than any other population. The purpose of this study was to compare treatment outcomes of young adults who have completed a wilderness therapy treatment program. This quantitative non-experimental study addressed the treatment outcomes of young adult males and femles who have attended wilderness therapy treatment programs through a gender schema lens, archival data from the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to assess whether participants reported symptom distress (SD), interpersonal relationships (IR), social role (SR), and total score on the self-report Outcome Questionnaire 45.2 (OQ 45.2) varied by gender, accounting for age at time of admission to the program and their primary presenting problem. This analysis was conducted on each subscale and the overall score, and the procedures for each of the tests were the same. There was a statistically significant difference between males and females in post-treatment SD F(1, 756) = 5.12, p = .02, partial ?2 = .007. Post hoc analysis was performed with a Bonferroni adjustment, indicating that female participants reported significantly higher SD than did males, with an observed mean difference of 2.78 (95% CI, 5.5 to -.46, p = .01). No statistically significant difference existed between young adult males and females attending a wilderness therapy program in post-treatment IR or SR as measured by the OQ 45.2, nor was there a difference between groups in total score on the OQ 45.2 post-treatment. Future research would benefit from comparing pre and post scores as well as exploring the relationship between gender and treatment outcomes in wilderness therapy more thoroughly and on a larger scale with 6 and 12 month post-treatment follow up.