Many teens in wilderness programs report the experience as being positive, beneficial, and enjoyable. They learn independence, patience, assertiveness, self-reliance, and maturity; although it is unclear how long these changes last (FamilyFirstAid 2004). Outcome studies have been completed (OBHRC 2001) that show continued improvement in behavior one-year after attending wilderness therapy and new outcome studies are currently underway.
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Parents and teens considering wilderness therapy programs should check them out thoroughly first, and be sure the program is a reputable one which does not use abusive techniques. A few wilderness programs have JCAHO, Council on Accreditation which requires thorough inspections to ensure the quality of the intervention and safety of services

After a wilderness therapy program, students may return home or may be recommended for a therapeutic boarding school or an intensive residential treatment center. The therapeutic boarding school will continue with the tools that have been learned in the wilderness program.  These tools are newly experimented with and have not yet become a habit and part of their lives.  If the child returns home directly after wilderness, their newfound understanding and experiences are still very fresh, fragile and foreign.  They have not yet found root to be firm and stable and relapse is likely.