Independent research and evaluations of Outward Bound South Africa programmes. Each item is described according to what it is – a formal academic study or a programme evaluation – with a short summary and a link to the full report.
Type: Programme evaluation
Compiled by: Elinda de Klerk and Arielle Graaff, COMPRES Service Delivery Division, North-West University (2025)
Areas covered: resilience, mental health and social well-being
50 young participants completed the Adult Resilience Measure (ARM) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF) before and after their programme, and wrote a reflection afterwards.
The questionnaire scores did not show a statistically significant change from before to after the programme. The researchers note this may reflect a “response shift” – participants rating themselves more critically once they had become more self-aware.
The written reflections were strong and consistent. Participants most often linked them to canoeing, abseiling, rock climbing, the Jacob’s ladder, hiking, solo time and camp chores, and described concrete plans to apply what they learned at home, at school and in their communities. The main themes:
NWU recommendations: keep the emphasis on teamwork, reflection and experiential challenge; consider follow-up sessions; and add outcome measures that better capture changes in identity and self-concept.
Resilience
Mental Health
Social Well-being
If you are a school, funder or partner and would like to discuss our programme evidence or how we report on outcomes, get in touch and we will share what we have.
