Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to rise. In 2019, over 70,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded, marking a 4% increase from the previous year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). More recent estimates suggest the death toll exceeded 100,000 in a twelve-month period ending in April 2021, indicating a significant rise (Johnson, 2021). The high mortality rate linked to addiction highlights the necessity for effective interventions for individuals diagnosed with SUD. The study presented focused on the impact of Adventure Therapy (AT) as an addition to the treatment of adults diagnosed with SUD. The chosen research methodology for this study was qualitative research, which was deemed appropriate due to its capacity for generating comprehensive transformations in data collection. This approach was employed to gain a deeper understanding of Adventure Therapy (AT) as a context-specific social phenomenon. Exploring the phenomena of Adventure Therapy, the study found benefits with incorporating AT into the treatment schedule for individuals participating in SUD treatment. Participants reported they experienced mindfulness and anxiety management strategies, bonding with peers, and increased self-confidence. Three themes emerged through the data collection: 1) Positive experiences with AT led patients to desire to continue with this mode of therapy, 2) Participants perceive AT as having a beneficial impact on their treatment and recovery, and 3) Participants expressed preferences and concerns regarding AT.
","abstract_html":"<p>Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to rise. In 2019, over 70,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded, marking a 4% increase from the previous year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). More recent estimates suggest the death toll exceeded 100,000 in a twelve-month period ending in April 2021, indicating a significant rise (Johnson, 2021). The high mortality rate linked to addiction highlights the necessity for effective interventions for individuals diagnosed with SUD. The study presented focused on the impact of Adventure Therapy (AT) as an addition to the treatment of adults diagnosed with SUD. The chosen research methodology for this study was qualitative research, which was deemed appropriate due to its capacity for generating comprehensive transformations in data collection. This approach was employed to gain a deeper understanding of Adventure Therapy (AT) as a context-specific social phenomenon. Exploring the phenomena of Adventure Therapy, the study found benefits with incorporating AT into the treatment schedule for individuals participating in SUD treatment. Participants reported they experienced mindfulness and anxiety management strategies, bonding with peers, and increased self-confidence. Three themes emerged through the data collection: 1) Positive experiences with AT led patients to desire to continue with this mode of therapy, 2) Participants perceive AT as having a beneficial impact on their treatment and recovery, and 3) Participants expressed preferences and concerns regarding AT.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Cresswell, Heather"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D. Doctor of Education","degree_level":"Dissertation - Public Access","degree_discipline":"Counselor Education and Supervision","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Marguerite Chabau, Ph.D.","Dr. Joffrey Suprina, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-04-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-04-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z","subjects":["Adventure Therapy","Substance Use Disorder","SUD","Addiction","Treatment","Partial Hospitalization","Counseling","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/807","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Marguerite Chabau, Ph.D.","Dr. Joffrey Suprina, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Cresswell, Heather"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2024-04-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counselor Education and Supervision"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Public Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Adventure Therapy","Substance Use Disorder","SUD","Addiction","Treatment","Partial Hospitalization","Counseling","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/807"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to rise. In 2019, over 70,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded, marking a 4% increase from the previous year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). More recent estimates suggest the death toll exceeded 100,000 in a twelve-month period ending in April 2021, indicating a significant rise (Johnson, 2021). The high mortality rate linked to addiction highlights the necessity for effective interventions for individuals diagnosed with SUD. The study presented focused on the impact of Adventure Therapy (AT) as an addition to the treatment of adults diagnosed with SUD. The chosen research methodology for this study was qualitative research, which was deemed appropriate due to its capacity for generating comprehensive transformations in data collection. This approach was employed to gain a deeper understanding of Adventure Therapy (AT) as a context-specific social phenomenon. Exploring the phenomena of Adventure Therapy, the study found benefits with incorporating AT into the treatment schedule for individuals participating in SUD treatment. Participants reported they experienced mindfulness and anxiety management strategies, bonding with peers, and increased self-confidence. Three themes emerged through the data collection: 1) Positive experiences with AT led patients to desire to continue with this mode of therapy, 2) Participants perceive AT as having a beneficial impact on their treatment and recovery, and 3) Participants expressed preferences and concerns regarding AT.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Substance Use Disorder Clients Engaging in Adventure Therapy"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Marguerite Chabau, Ph.D.","Dr. Joffrey Suprina, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Cresswell, Heather"],"dc:date.available":["2024-04-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to rise. In 2019, over 70,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded, marking a 4% increase from the previous year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). More recent estimates suggest the death toll exceeded 100,000 in a twelve-month period ending in April 2021, indicating a significant rise (Johnson, 2021). The high mortality rate linked to addiction highlights the necessity for effective interventions for individuals diagnosed with SUD. The study presented focused on the impact of Adventure Therapy (AT) as an addition to the treatment of adults diagnosed with SUD. The chosen research methodology for this study was qualitative research, which was deemed appropriate due to its capacity for generating comprehensive transformations in data collection. This approach was employed to gain a deeper understanding of Adventure Therapy (AT) as a context-specific social phenomenon. Exploring the phenomena of Adventure Therapy, the study found benefits with incorporating AT into the treatment schedule for individuals participating in SUD treatment. Participants reported they experienced mindfulness and anxiety management strategies, bonding with peers, and increased self-confidence. Three themes emerged through the data collection: 1) Positive experiences with AT led patients to desire to continue with this mode of therapy, 2) Participants perceive AT as having a beneficial impact on their treatment and recovery, and 3) Participants expressed preferences and concerns regarding AT.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/807"],"dc:subject":["Adventure Therapy","Substance Use Disorder","SUD","Addiction","Treatment","Partial Hospitalization","Counseling","Psychology","Social and Behavioral Sciences"],"dc:title":["A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Examining The Experiences Of Substance Use Disorder Clients Engaging in Adventure Therapy"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counselor Education and Supervision"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Public Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D. Doctor of Education"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:21:20Z"}