The DOI matches its Crossref record; 66 of the 66 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The Effects of Surfing and the Natural Environment on the Well-Being of Combat Veterans
Open accessAbstract
Although researchers have identified the benefits of physical activity on well-being, there is little evidence concerning the effects of nature-based physical activity. We investigated the effect of one nature-based activity—surfing—on the well-being of combat veterans experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted interviews and participant observations with a group of combat veterans belonging to a United Kingdom-based veterans’ surfing charity. Our primary analytical approach was dialogical narrative analysis. Based on our rigorous analysis and findings, we suggest that surfing facilitated a sense of respite from PTSD. Respite was a fully embodied feeling of release from suffering that was cultivated through surfing and shaped by the stories veterans told of their experiences. We significantly extend previous knowledge on physical activity, combat veterans, and PTSD by highlighting how nature-based physical activity, encapsulated in the conceptual notion of the “blue gym,” can promote well-being among combat veterans.
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“Female and male military service members and veterans demonstrate respite from (PTSD) symptoms utilizing surf therapy, including decreased depression and anxiety, as well as increased positive affect.”
From The Groundswell Community Surf Therapy Intervention for At-Risk Women and Changes in Body Acceptance, Resilience, and Emotional Regulation (2024) · cites this paper as [28]
Citations
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“Numerous studies have empirically demonstrated the social and psychological significance of surfing to surfers, as well as its therapeutic potential in addressing various forms of physical and emotional trauma (Britton et al. 2020; Caddick, Smith, and Phoenix 2015; Lambert 2024).”
Navigating grief: an autoethnographic tale of open water swimming and loss
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“Thus, what was significant in my experience was that water allowed a sense of connection, purpose, and healing that I had not welcomed previously, adding further evidence that blue spaces can and do provide therapeutic accretion for those that access it (Caddick et al., 2015; Foley, 2017).”
InfluentialWinter Bathing in Denmark: A Qualitative Case Study on Winter Bathing’s Impact on Mental Health
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‘I can’t imagine me without a bike’ The lived experience of deaf countryside cyclists
Beale, J. T., & Brickell, W. H. (2024) · Speech Language and Hearing · doi:10.1080/2050571x.2024.2388970 · Cited by 3
“Research has considered, combat veterans with PTSD and the impact of surfing (Caddick, Smith, & Phoenix, 2015); Scuba diving (Walker & Kampman, 2022); Mountain climbing and desert trekking have both been examined in multiple sclerosis sufferers (Calsius et al., 2015; Calsius, Van Den Noortgate,…”
Tran, M., Brander, R. W., & Peden, A. E. (2026) · Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism · doi:10.1016/j.jort.2026.101018 · Cited by 2
Training profile and performance in european adaptive surfing athletes
Cruz, G., Silva, B., & Bentes, R. (2021) · Advances in Rehabilitation · doi:10.5114/areh.2021.105878 · Cited by 2
“Furthermore, surfing has been proved as an important stimulating learning environment for children with disability [5,6] and improve outcomes related to several other disabilities [1,7].”
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Evidências psicológicas do surfe: efeitos terapêuticos e demandas assistenciais
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Metadata
- Authors
- Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Loughborough University (GB)
- Venue
- Qualitative Health Research
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-09-04
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 76-86
- ISSN
- 1049-7323 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7557
- OpenAlex
- W2166801435
- Cited by
- 153
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 5.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- figshare.com
- Locations
- Qualitative Health Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Anglia Ruskin Research Online (Anglia Ruskin University) (submittedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Urban Green Space and Health
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Adventure Sports and Sensation Seeking
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
- Keywords
- surfing, combat veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder, nature-based physical activity, well-being, respite, embodiment, physical activity and mental health
- MeSH terms
- Adult, United Kingdom, Health Status, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Oceans and Seas, Sports, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Veterans, Narrative Therapy
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