Benefits of an Organized Camp: Interactive Effects of Environmental Sensitivity and Experience Content on Mental Health

Introduction: Although organized camp experiences are known to improve mental health in children and adolescents, some studies have reported an increase in negative affect. The content that participants experienced in the activity may underlie these inconsistencies. Additionally, environmental sensitivity moderated the relationship between various factors and mental health. This study involved children and adolescents participating in an organized camp program and investigated the interactive effects of sensitivity and experiential content on mental health.Methods: A total of 393 students (fifth to seventh grade) participated in an organized camp program for two days and responded to a three-wave longitudinal survey (pre-and post-program, and one-month follow-up). Results: Latent growth model-based analyses indicated that Experiences of Challenge/Mastery and Self-Disclosure significantly predicted better mental health, as assessed in the follow-up survey. However, when sensitivity score was lower than M – 0.38SD, the significant association was not found between the Experience of Self-Disclosure and mental health. Conclusion: The current findings may provide insights into the planning and practice of organized camp programs. Specifically, it is important to consider participants’ sensitivity levels and experience content.