LONDON, Nov 18 — In the UK, depressed youth can try a novel therapy: surfing lessons, with the hope that learning to hang ten will boost confidence and mood.
The National Health Service (NHS) has introduced a £10,000 (RM52,600) pilot scheme, funded by Dorset Healthcare University Foundation Trust, that lets troubled young people take to the waves, The Telegraph reports.
A non-profit organisation called the Wave Project, led by volunteers, is running the programme with courses being offered to young people between the ages of eight and 21 who have been referred by a doctor, school, or social services organisation for treatment.
The Wave Project began in 2010, when Cornwall and Isles of Scilly NHS Trust funded a six-week pilot scheme to test whether surfing could boost the emotional health of 20 youngsters. Findings showed that clients felt more confident and enjoyed a more positive outlook and sense of fun in their lives than they previously had, the organisation explained.
While we’re all familiar with the inherent physical and physiological boost from practising sports, some scientists say that surfing is unique in that it induces a feel-good chemical cocktail triggered by the charged ions found in the waves. In one study of 107 surfers in California in 2010, researcher Ryan Pittsinger, then a doctoral student at the University of Iowa, found that surfers, regardless of skill level, felt more positive, calmer, and more relaxed after just 30 minutes of hitting the waves. — AFP-Relaxnews
