Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-17-2024

Abstract

Outdoor Adventure Camps (OACs) have proven beneficial for the mental and physical health of youth across age groups (Bowers et al., 2019; Eigenshenk et al., 2019). OACs have typically been reserved for the middle and upper class of the United States and have only recently been made available to low-income groups (Browne et al., 2019). Within the low-income population we also typically see a higher incidence of behavioral issues stemming from emotional regulation difficulties in children (Collins et al., 2017). The purpose of this study is to better understand the beneficial outcomes of OACs with regard to emotional regulation in low-income youth. Participants completed the ERQ-CA at the beginning and end of their week at camp to assess the change in reappraisal and suppression, the two critical components of emotional regulation. This data, alongside counselor journals, and semi-structured discussions led and hosted by counselors on the last day of camp, provided several different perspectives regarding the benefits of OACs with low-income populations. Findings may provide significant support for the funding of more access to OACs for low-income populations.

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