Clinical Research Trials in Outdoor Therapies: Current Evidence and Future Directions
Description
There is an increasing number of clinical trials being conducted in the field of Outdoor Therapies, with 45 trials being published in the last 10 years. This session will discuss the field of outdoor therapies from a psychological research perspective, highlighting the current research landscape and gaps for future research trials to address.
Session Outline
This session will use knowledge gained from a scoping review on clinical trials of outdoor therapies delivered by mental health professionals (in preparation). The following areas will be discussed:
populations that outdoor therapies have been studied with
types and intensity of interventions and outdoor therapy modalities
facilitator discipline/training
targeted outcomes
and study design
Discussion will include common areas for risk of bias in conducting trials in the fields of outdoor therapies and how researchers can mitigate those risks.
Audience members will leave this session with a more nuanced understanding about the evidence base for outdoor therapies and how the future of our field can be shaped with additional high quality research trials.
Andi Dickmeyer
she/her
Clinical Psychology Registrar & PhD Candidate
Andi is a Clinical Psychology Registrar and PhD Candidate (Psychology) at the University of Newcastle who grew up in the United States and now lives on Awabakal country. She moved to Australia after engaging in research on nature connection and mental health practices internationally as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow. Andi conducts therapy sessions both in an office and in a natural bush setting for clients across the age span at The Base Health in Newcastle, NSW. She is also the volunteer convener of Outdoor Health Australia’s Research & Evidence Committee. Her PhD is investigating outdoor therapies delivered by mental health professionals, including a randomised-controlled trial on walk-and-talk therapy for men with depression.