A recent study from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment shows that veterans who engage in outdoor activities may improve their mental health.
The study, sponsored by the Sierra Club, surveyed 98 veterans before leaving for multi-day backpacking or canoeing trips and then surveyed them a week and a month after returning. According to the study, the vets showed “improvements in psychological well-being, social functioning, and life outlook.”
The study’s authors theorize that “engaging in activities outdoors that involve physical challenge, camaraderie, and achievement of an objective may resonate with types of experiences that make military service highly meaningful and rewarding.”
