The facilitation of character strengths during early adulthood through Adventure Therapy : a critical review

Abstract

Emerging adults are faced with a variety of challenges, including being constantly exposed to risk factors. Research, however, states that character strengths are significant enough to develop in their own right because they have great potential benefits for positive youth development and ultimately positive mental well-being (Park, 2004). Therefore, having the development of character strengths facilitated through individual or group intervention could help young adults cope better with the challenges and transitions they face. Strength-based approaches to therapy and interventions have increasingly been used to develop strength of character in children and youth at any level (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009). One example of this type of intervention is Adventure Therapy, which has been useful as a vehicle for helping early adults to negotiate the challenges they face more successfully, by recognizing and developing their strengths (Schreiner, 2015). Participation in wilderness education has also been correlated with developmental outcomes such as self-actualization, increased interpersonal and team building skills (Ewert & Garvey, 2007). Although research on AT as a potential preventative intervention is gathering momentum, relatively little is known (or there are discrepant results found in literature) about its effectiveness in facilitating character strengths, and its impact on the positive well-being of participants who fall in the developmental period of ‘youth’ or ‘emerging adulthood’. The aim of this critical review was to identify which character strengths are facilitated through AT, and what aspects/ activities of the AT intervention have proven to be effective in facilitating these strengths.

This study was a critical review and complied with the steps proposed by Carnwell and Daly (2001) as cited in De Klerk and Pretorious (2019), in order to critically review and synthesize the scientific literature to gain a better understanding the psychological strengths that are facilitated during AT. From the research process, the literature included in this review included peer-reviewed and journal studies that came from sources published in English. After the literature sources were gathered and their critical appraisal was conducted, a total of six studies were included in the final analysis. Thematic analysis was used as an analysis tool to identify themes for the study. The following are the strengths that emerged from the analysis, and falls within the Values in Action Inventory (VIA) classification system of character strengths (VIA Institute on Character, 2021): Perspective and Creativity (through the virtue of wisdom and knowledge), Bravery (through the virtue of courage), Love and Kindness (through the virtue of humanity), Teamwork and Leadership (through justice), Self-regulation (through temperance), and Hope (through transcendence). These themes were discussed. The findings of this research study revealed that AT is effective in facilitating character strengths among emerging adults. Furthermore, the research results can inform evidence based policy and practice for AT developers, health practitioners, researchers, and professionals alike.