The contribution of wilderness therapy to the sense of coherence amongst orthodox youth at risk

Adolescence is a developmental stage in life characterized by significant physiological, psychological, and cognitive changes. This period in life has a considerable effect on the skills and coping mechanisms the youth will develop in their future adult life (Call, 2002). Being in the intermediate state, adolescents tend to develop emotional instability, insecurity, and increased sensitivity (Baroncelli, 2012), hence often, this challenging phase demands of society external intervention in guiding the youth to acquire the tools necessary to integrate into society and to exhaust the potential inherent in them to its fullest.

           One of the interventions developed in the last century is the field of adventure therapy (AT), and branching out of it is wilderness therapy, (also referred to as outdoor behavioral healthcare). During expeditions, youth venture out into a natural environment for a period ranging from several days up to several weeks. Confronted with unconventional experiences and unfamiliar situations, they are obliged to overcome challenges, confront patterns of behavior, recognize strengths and weaknesses, and develop coping tools. Wilderness therapy is commonly used as a form of therapy for at-risk adolescents due to the environment’s ability to mimic challenges within their natural social structures (Mohan et al., 2022). 

           When the scope of the phenomenon of youth-at-risk dropping out of the educational frameworks in the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox community expanded, efficient solutions were sought to rehabilitate these youth. One intervention proposed was the wilderness therapy program, which after being reviewed by the respective authoritative figures in the Ultra-Orthodox community, received their blessing.

The purpose of this study was to describe the journey through the eyes of its participants, attribute their meaning to their experiences, and thus formulate an understanding of the journey’s effects on them – with an emphasis on the characteristics that promote these effects. Once the Journey’s influence would be established, a further inquiry would be made as to whether these effects relate to the sense of coherence. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology based on the phenomenological research tradition - which assumes that phenomena can be understood through the subjective meaning of those experiencing it, was adopted. 

           The research questions concentrated on two fields of content: 1. How was the journey experienced by its participants; what meaning did they attribute to its components? 2. In what ways did the journey affect their lives, - in the past and the present?

           Participants in this study were ten young adults identifying as Ultra-Orthodox who were raised in an Ultra-Orthodox community, all of whom were previously labeled: youth-at-risk. All of the interviewees participated in recent years in at least one wilderness excursion. Some joined as part of their Yeshiva’s (religious high school) curriculum, while others as part of a private therapeutic group intended for orthodox youth-at-risk. To get as broad and deep an understanding of the phenomenon, an interview was also conducted with Rabbi Chaim Katz, founder of Merkaz Gisha and head of the wilderness therapy program for Ultra-Orthodox Youth-at-Risk in Israel. 

           Participants were recruited with the assistance of Rabbi Chaim Katz. The interviews were conducted in a place of the participant’s choice, using Spradely’s semi-structured interview, each one taking between 1.5 – 2 hours. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim then analyzed per the qualitative methodology.

Analysis of the interviews brought forth the understanding that the wilderness experience consists of three phases: pre-excursion, during the excursion, and post-excursion. Each phase is critical in the experience of the journey as a whole, and affected its participants in different ways. The pre-excursion phase focused on preparatory classes taken prior and in preparation for the excursion. This phase spoke of three areas of preparation: 1. Technical – mastering basic survival skills needed to survive in the wilderness. 2. Social – acquiring social skills needed for proper and efficient team functioning. 3. Emotional – understanding the complexity of emotions, where they stem from and what control one can yield over them.

The second phase - the excursion itself, dealt with the meaning assigned to the travel experience. Three meaningful experiences repeated themselves in the interviews: 1. The journey as enabling an authentic experience devoid of false external masks. 2. The journey enhances a sense of ability. 3. The journey raising a sense of meaningfulness by means of the group setting: being part of the group – a solid structure capable of providing personal support to each, and being able to contribute something of your own to the group, as a form of validity to one’s meaningfulness.

The third phase - post-journey, reflects on the journey’s long-term effects on its participants. Yet again, three separate categories stood out: 1. Behavioral effects – improved behavior patterns by the participants as a result of what they deemed better in light of the journey. 2. Emotional changes – applying techniques utilized in the wilderness to better manage emotions. 3. Spiritual changes – through facing challenges, and realizing the presence of g-d in their lives, these youth were able to re-establish a connection with g-d, and return to their former beliefs.

In the discussion chapter, the findings of this study were analyzed in relation to the sense of coherence – the heart of the salutogenic approach. The salutogenic approach focuses on the promotion of health and well-being, and measuring one’s sense of coherence can predict one’s well-being. The sense of coherence includes three main components: comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness – each of which is developed and supported during the wilderness excursion. Aside from identifying these three components as part of the excursion, this study offers a model for each component linking it to various themes in the study, articulating the connection between the characteristics of the journey and its influence on the participants – in all three phases of the wilderness therapy excursion.

This study, which focuses on the meaning of the experience of the journeys as perceived by ultra-orthodox youth-at-risk, is a first of its kind.  Adopting the qualitative phenomenological methodology enabled a better understanding of the powers at play during the journey and its impact – then and hereafter. In light of the findings, this study offers direction for further studies concerning significant and relevant variables that aroused in this study. Additionally, this study brings forth practical recommendations for utilizing the potential inherent in the journey.

Alongside its pioneering nature, this study is prone to several limitations: The first being the partial sampling group, which does not represent the full breadth of the phenomenon. This limitation was mainly due to the difficulty in recruiting participants whose experience of the journey was ambivalent; it seems that these interviewees displayed less interest in participating in this study. The second limitation stems from the research being conducted at one point in time, making it difficult to properly follow the process of change. A third limitation relates to homogeneity – due to the ultra-orthodox identity of the participants, only male participants were included (the journey was addressed solely to males). Perhaps a future study conducted amongst females can further expand the knowledge obtained in this field. Finally, the qualitative methodology while allowing a broad understanding of the phenomenon and its effects lacks empirical results and the comparison to a control group. Perhaps future research conducted in this field can cast its spotlight to shed light on these limitations.