UNH Today

Research on the Edge

A landmark study by UNH researchers Michael Gass, professor of outdoor education, and Anita Tucker, associate professor of social work, found that for adolescents with mental health and substance use issues, taking therapy into challenging wilderness environments is up to three times more effective than keeping it on the couch. The researchers, who published the study in the journal Children and Youth Services Review, say the powerful findings could expand access to outdoor behavioral healthcare.

Teen Chaos

For adolescents navigating the rocky road of physical and emotional changes, a disorganized and unstable home life can lead to greater depression, poorer physical health and increased likelihood of engaging in substance abuse.

Drained Dry

The winter tick — a tiny parasite thriving as winters warm and shorten — is decimating northern New England’s moose population, a three-year UNH study found. , the research, led by professor of wildlife ecology Pete Pekins, found that increasing infestations of this blood-sucking parasite are the primary cause of an unprecedented 70 percent death rate of calves over a three-year period.