The Impact of Ocean Therapy on Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Book excerpt: The purpose of this quantitative, repeated-measure, study was to determine if ocean therapy related to an increased self-efficacy, reduced Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and reduced depression among veterans with PTSD in the United States. This study was guided by Bandura's self-efficacy theory. The self-efficacy theory assumes observational learning, social experiences, and reciprocal determinism are crucial factors in determining high or low self-efficacy. Data were compiled from a sample of 95 veterans who participated in the ocean therapy program, hosted by Amazing Surf Adventures. Three research questions were developed to determine if ocean therapy had positive results over time as measured by the General Self Efficacy (GSE) assessment, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and a Posttraumatic checklist (PCL 5). Three instances of data collection occurred: once prior to participation in the therapy program, once after participation in the program, and once at 30 days after participation in the ocean therapy program. The collected data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA. All assessments indicated a substantial positive change. There was found to be a significant effect of time point of survey on GSE score (F (2,188) = 644.25, p