Impacts of Nature in Proactive and Responsive Behavioral Health Treatment of Urban Latino Youth

Project Summary:

Adolescent mental health is of particular concern in Wisconsin as youth suicide rates and mental health hospitalizations consistently surpass national rates, and have shown notable increases year after year. Although behavioral health interventions, access, and encounters for youth have increased across the state, treatment needs surpass available services. Greater attention to prevention and an exploration of alternatives to clinical treatment interventions is critical to impact increasing rates of mental illness, suicide, and hospitalizations. Alternative treatment options are limited, especially for at-risk urban, minority youth, due to distance and cost barriers, and are almost entirely inaccessible for non-English speaking families.

The proposed study will evaluate how enhancing existing after-school/summer camp programs and outpatient treatment with nature-based, behavioral health treatment techniques improves mental health outcomes among urban and economically disadvantaged Latino youth.