Conference Agenda

Background

Therapeutic climbing is increasingly used to treat mental health disorders, yet its subjective benefits remain underexplored. This qualitative study investigates the lived experiences of individuals undergoing therapeutic climbing to uncover its therapeutic potential.

Methods

Outpatients diagnosed with anxiety disorders or comorbid anxiety and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) participated in eight 90‐minute therapeutic climbing sessions led by trained therapists. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted to capture their views and experiences, and the data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results

Participants described a range of positive experiences, barriers, and transfer effects. Key positive themes included a sense of mastery, enhanced group cohesion, and improved cognitive focus—reflecting successes in overcoming anxiety, building trust, and maintaining present-moment awareness. Reported barriers comprised both psychological challenges (e.g., heightened anxiety) and physical limitations (e.g., exhaustion). Notably, participants experienced lasting improvements in calmness, persistence, and motivation, suggesting sustained benefits beyond the climbing sessions.

Discussion

These findings highlight the multifaceted impact of therapeutic climbing on anxiety and PTSD. In addition to corroborating previous quantitative evidence on symptom reduction and self-efficacy, the study reveals unique benefits such as reframing anxiety and fostering social trust. Integrating qualitative perspectives is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of climbing interventions’ therapeutic potential.

In a world where adolescent mental health is increasingly fragile, capturing students’ lived experiences requires more than quantitative data alone. This paper presents a longitudinal study in a private school in Greece, where three years of survey data revealed concerning trends but lacked depth in explaining students’ distress. To bridge this gap, we turned to storytelling—conducting semi-structured focus groups with middle school, high school, and IBDP students. Using Thematic Analysis, we uncovered key themes: Emotional Turmoil in Adolescence, The Fine Line Between Teasing and Bullying, and The Desire to Connect with Adults. However, beyond these themes, a crucial meta-insight emerged: the very process of engaging with students qualitatively reshaped our understanding of their struggles. Students expressed frustration with the impersonal nature of surveys, revealing how they sometimes answered dismissively to signal distress. Their narratives exposed the limitations of our quantitative approach, prompting a fundamental redesign of our data collection methods—one that now integrates qualitative inquiry to foster a more meaningful dialogue on student wellbeing. This study underscores the power of qualitative research in not only uncovering hidden dimensions of mental health but also in reshaping the ways we listen, interpret, and respond.

Recognizing that agriculture and food systems offer a range of integrated services, this study explores how a certain local farmer can contribute its best to the social, educational, civic and nutritional impacts of its local food system activities in urban settings.

Participatory action research (PAR) is a scholar–activist research approach that emphasizes experiential knowledge to tackle problems stemming from unequal social systems and develop alternatives. The first author via the cooperation with the second author were working more than one year long in a certain local food community to generate new knowledge and drive social change.

After five years, we recognized how the certain farm changed its model within the local food system (farmer-to-consumer interaction) and altered its social relationship structure (peer-advising network), or reinforced some elements of its projects whereas finished others (collective action-reflection). As a result, we observed, analyzed, reflected on our actions and their impact to gain insights, refine understanding of the social change.

As a result of the research, we can see that researchers have various opportunities to support sustainable development in the local level via PAR, particularly through their involvement in local dialogues.