From Fear to Psychological Growth: The Mechanisms by Which Rappelling Promotes Mental Health

Abstract

Rappelling is a typical controlled high-risk outdoor adventure activity. Based on positive psychology, self-efficacy theory, psychological resilience theory, and experiential learning theory, this paper explores the mechanisms through which rappelling promotes mental health. The study suggests that rappelling serves as an experiential intervention that fosters individual psychological growth within a context of manageable risk. Participants go through stages including fear recognition, emotional regulation, behavioral control, and successful feedback, thereby enhancing self-efficacy, building psychological resilience, and improving social trust and teamwork skills. Rappelling can be incorporated into mental health exercise prescriptions, enriching the field of exercise therapy.