Many surfers will describe the sport as therapeutic, but in some cases that may literally be true. Jonathan Ossie, a marketing lecturer at San Diego State University’s Fowler College of Business, conducted a study on the effects of surf therapy on military veterans. The findings, published last month in Frontiers in Psychology, showed that the sport could have a positive impact on those suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“To many people, the power of the ocean has restorative and therapeutic qualities,” said Ossie. “I wanted to learn if surf therapy could potentially aid military veterans experiencing PTSD since published research on the subject is extremely limited.”
The trial had 41 participants (27 men and 14 women) all of whom were military veterans or active-duty personnel who had been diagnosed with PTSD. They participated in a seven-day study, in which California-based nonprofit organization Operation Surf provided surf instruction and equipment. In addition to surfing, activities included instruction on yoga, stretching and peer support sessions that continued after the conclusion of the study…