Bringing Adventure-Based Therapy to Adolescent Cancer Patients: Design principles for interior oncology environments

Adolescence (ages 13-18) is a time of dynamic development in a young person’s life, and can be profoundly affected with long-term consequences when confronted prematurely with mortality, due to the diagnoses and treatment of cancer. Adventure-based therapy (ABT), which uses outdoor leisure activities with an element of risk, has been shown to have a positive impact on the physical, psychological, and psychosocial side effects incurred by adolescent cancer survivors. This qualitative study focuses on enhancing the quality of life for adolescents undergoing treatment for cancer by integrating ABT into pediatric oncology environments. The research resulted in four design principles for implementing ABT into interior oncology environments.