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SDSU lecturer Jonathan Ossie studied surf therapy’s impact on military veterans with PTSD, finding significant positive effects. The program included surfing, yoga, stretching, and peer support. Immediate results showed a 44% drop in depression, particularly for women, and a decrease in high anxiety levels from 40% to 10%. Sleep quality improved, although heart rate variability decreased, requiring further study. While benefits were strongest during the program, continued engagement with yoga, stretching, surfing, and the peer support network helped maintain some improvements after 30 days.
News summary provided by Gemini AI.
Ask a committed surfer about their time in the waves and you may well hear about the invigorating nature of their activity as the adrenaline and endorphins kick in: the sense of well-being, the escape from the stresses of everyday life.
Jonathan Ossie, a marketing lecturer at SDSU’s Fowler College of Business, researched the effects of surf therapy on military veterans and found how surf therapy could have a positive impact on both the physiological and psychological effects of PTSD. His findings were published last month in Frontiers in Psychology.
The surf activities also included instruction on yoga, stretching and peer support sessions, which the participants could continue at the conclusion of the study.
Data collection
Among Ossie’s findings:
- Depression: Depression levels dropped by 44% for all participants immediately following the program, with females showing the greatest improvement. Levels rose only slightly after 30 days.
- Anxiety: 40% of participants reported the highest classification of anxiety before the program. This fell to 10% immediately after the study but rose slightly to 14% 30 days later.
- Sleep: Both deep sleep and REM sleep improved during the program but declined slightly after 30 days.
- Heart rate variability: Decreased by 12% during the program, but Ossie noted more data is needed since learning to surf could also increase stress levels.
Ossie noted while results were strongest during the surfing activities, participants who continued to practice yoga and stretching, maintained the interpersonal relationships they developed during the program, and continued to surf may also account for post-program improvements.
