None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Despite several studies recommending surf therapy as a relevant form of holistic treatment for youth with clinical and subclinical mental health concerns, there is a paucity of research examining the efficacy of surf therapy programs, particularly in youth, and a lack of understanding of the mechanisms underpinning positive change. Published studies to date have largely been descriptive in design, lack control groups, and display other methodological limitations, such as study-designed questionnaires and potential for bias by the researchers. Nonetheless, preliminary evidence, indicating that surf therapy may be effective for improving a range of mental health indicators in vulnerable young people, provides the justification for further methodologically sound evaluation of such programs. The main objective of this research study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Ocean Mind surf therapy intervention in a controlled design, for improving indicators of youth mental health. In particular, it is thought that the combination of mentorship and social connection, surf practice and the benefits of contact with nature within a therapeutic environment may be helpful for reducing risk factors for common mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, and behavioural problems for the young people involved. Demonstrating the efficacy of this intervention through rigorous scientific evaluation is important for the shared interest in promoting the wellbeing of young people and further surf therapy programs within the community. Therefore, we seek to answer the research question: Can surf therapy have a positive effect on indicators of youth mental health? It is hypothesised that: 1) Young people receiving the surf therapy program will have lower anxiety and depressive symptoms and fewer behavioural problems (conduct and hyperactivity) compared to the wait-list control group. 2) Young people receiving the surf therapy program will have higher self-esteem and social support compared to the wait-list control group 3) Young people will maintain improvements in social contentedness and group identification at 2- and 4-week follow-up 4) Young people will maintain improvements in anxiety and depressive symptoms at 2- and 4-week follow-up 5) Young people will maintain improvements in self-esteem at 2- and 4-week follow-up
Interventions
The intervention is a 6-week mentor-lead surf therapy program, provided to youth who have been referred due to vulnerabilities to a range of mental health problems. Children participating in the intervention will attend one 2-hour surf therapy session, every weekend for six consecutive weekends. Children are provided with required surf material (surfboard and wetsuit). Prior to intervention commencement, children are matched to a surf-mentor based on their referring presentation and the surf-men
The intervention is a 6-week mentor-lead surf therapy program, provided to youth who have been referred due to vulnerabilities to a range of mental health problems. Children participating in the intervention will attend one 2-hour surf therapy session, every weekend for six consecutive weekends. Children are provided with required surf material (surfboard and wetsuit). Prior to intervention commencement, children are matched to a surf-mentor based on their referring presentation and the surf-mentors experience and characteristics. Children will receive one-on-one surf instruction and mentorship throughout the program with the same mentor while learning to surf alongside a small group of 10-12 children. On a backdrop of learning to surf, the focus of this mentorship is to help children develop a secure relationship with their mentor and a sense of belonging and connectedness to the group, while also learning social skills, teamwork, perseverance in the face of challenge, psychological flexibility, and self-regulation. This is achieved through upholding the identified values laid out by Ocean Mind at the outset of the program and ongoing conversation between child and surf-mentor, as well as social support provided by the larger group. It is hypothesized that the mentor-child relationship and surf group setting will provide the appropriate context to develop these skills, which in turn will lead to improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression and behavioural conduct problems, as well as social connectedness, self-confidence and community engagement. Adherence to the intervention will be monitored via program attendance log and surf mentor weekly logs. The pace and goals of the program are participant led and individualised to each young person, and depend on the surf skills of the child and referring presentation. Throughout the intervention participants can choose to work 1:1 with their mentor, or they can become more involved with the wider group. Mentors are trained volunteers from the community who are experienced surfers and with high water competency and knowledge of the ocean. The intervention will take place in the Geelong/Surf Coast region of Victoria, Australia.
Sponsors
Deakin University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
8 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Age 8 to 18 years Referred by a professional in the community (e.g. psychologist, school counsellor) Ability to communicate in English
Exclusion criteria
Nil
Outcome results
None listed