Mental Health and Rock Climbing
This treatment might work for some. In the UK, 15 people with mental health conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, are trying to climb the 4,406ft Ben Nevis. Read more: Mountain climbing for mental health. All have reduced some usage of medication. Sounds like it might be a part of a treatment plan for some, but for others, who knows what other anxieties climbing might trigger. It certainly clears my head.
I am a school counsellor. I am interested in the therapeutic benefits of adventure-type activities, including rock climbing. Evidence is emerging from an experiment I am trialling with primary-aged kids who present with challenging behaviours, including ADHD. An indoor rock climbing session once a week lasting up to 90 minutes is indicating that students who could not get along at school, can become good buddies when teamed together for indoor rock climbing. The element of “trust” and the perception that the two of them are involved in an activity that is “mutually beneficial” actually helps them forget their earlier differences.
I would like to know if other practitioners are experiencing similar findings, as I am interested in adopting this project as my thesis for the Masters in Clinical Psychology, commencing in Feburary 2008.
Comment by Rex D'cruz — October 28, 2007 @ 12:51 am