Camping programs for individuals with chronic illness are increasingly common. Unfortunately, few studies have been conducted to empirically evaluate whether camping programs are meeting their intended goals or having the positive outcomes that are expected of them. The current study was conducted as an evaluation of a bleeding disorder camp for patients with bleeding disorders and their siblings.
Participants in the current study included 77 participants, ages 7-20 (mean 11.58, SD = 3.21). The sample was 62.3% male and 63.6% patients (36.4% siblings). Most of the patients (52.6%) had severe bleeding disorders. Participants were administered the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS; Snyder et al., 1991), which evaluates two dimensions of hope (1. Agency, the ability to identify positive goals and 2. Pathways, the ability to find ways to meet identified goals) and overall hope. Participants demonstrated a significant improvement on the agency subscale of the CHS, t(35) = -2.16, p < .05. Participants reported qualitative aspects of living with bleeding disorders, including differences in their lives, aspects of their lives that are better, aspects about bleeding disorders that are often misunderstood, and advice for others with bleeding disorders. Responses to qualitative were analysed across groups (patients and siblings; severe and mild patients) and were found to be very consistent across these groups. This information has helped to provide information about experiences of youth affected by bleeding disorders and will be used to help inform upcoming camp programming. These findings have also demonstrated positive psychosocial outcomes associated with camp attendance.