TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Psychosocial outcomes of Australian male and female veterans following participation in peer-led adventure-based therapy
JO  - Journal of veterans studies
A1  - Theal, Rebecca
A1  - Kerin, Jessica Lynne
A1  - Romaniuk, Madeline
SP  - 70
EP  - 87
VL  - 6
IS  - 2
N2  - Adjunct or second-line therapies are increasingly being utilised among military populations to address treatment barriers and improve mental health outcomes. This study evaluated the psychosocial outcomes of an Australian peer-led adventure-based therapy program, Trojan's Trek, for 60 ex-service military personnel (i.e., veterans, 56.7% male). Participants completed 1 of 6 Queensland Trojan's Trek programs--a 6-day, live-in program consisting of 10-12 structured CBT-based group sessions and 11 nature-based activities--between March 2018 and March 2019. A non-controlled, within-subjects longitudinal design was utilised with assessment at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 2-month follow-up. Changes in psychosocial outcomes were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5), Positive and Negative Interactions Scale (PNI), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ). Mixed-factorial ANOVAs indicated a significant time x gender effect for anxiety (male F[2, 28] = 31.1, p <.001; female F[2, 19] = 4.05, p =.025); and stress (male F[2, 28] = 45.3, p <.001; female F[2, 19] = 9.98, p <.001). There were significant improvements between pre- and post-intervention for depression, anxiety (male only), stress, posttraumatic stress, perceived positive relationships with friends and family, perceived negative relationships with family and partners, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction. Improvements were maintained or established at 2-month follow-up for depression, anxiety (male and female), stress, posttraumatic stress, perceived negative relationships with friends, and self-efficacy. This study demonstrates utility of the Trojan's Trek program for male and female Australian veterans with mental health difficulties. However, a controlled trial is required to determine program efficacy.     Keywords: adventure-based therapy, peer-to-peer intervention, peer support veterans, mental health, posttraumatic stress disorder<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2470-4768
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.21061/jvs.v6i2.189
ID  - ref1
ER  -