How Semantic Shifts in Nature and Youth Mental Health Shape Outdoor Therapies
A Narrative Review (1960–2020)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21634595 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Edgar Le Guyader (0009-0007-9547-1030, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, corresponding author), Simon Beames (0000-0003-1513-9745, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 245-278 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Experiential Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1053-8259 • E-ISSN: 2169-009X |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10538259251411249 |
| OpenAlex | W7125523063 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 61 |
Background: Since the 1960s, outdoor therapies for youth mental health (YMH) have expanded considerably. This trajectory involved a diversification of conceptions of both nature and YMH, leading to a fragmented field of knowledge and practice. Purpose: The inquiry aims to reveal and analyze the historical trajectory of outdoor therapies for YMH. Approach: Using a mixed-method approach, this narrative review draws on 49 articles to interrogate the historical development of factors such as pathologies, gender, and the role attributed to nature, since the first program. Findings: From 1962 up until the 1990s, articles portrayed nature as a sporting arena primarily targeting boys, with participants mostly considered deviant or socially disruptive. The 1990s marked semantic shifts: nature became more ambiguous—somewhere between sporting arena and active agent, while the target audience for YMH expanded to include more girls and a broader range of subtler mental health issues. From 2005 to the present, nature has been increasingly viewed as an active agent for improving YMH, and the field now caters to youth of all kinds. Implications: The findings show how changing conceptions of nature and youth mental health have shaped nature-based therapy programs, highlighting the need for more coherent and ecocentric designs
Mental health · Narrative · Narrative inquiry · Narrative review · Outdoor education · Child Therapy and Development · Outdoor and Experiential Education · Urban Green Space and Health
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |