ArticleHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland)2024
Winter Bathing in Denmark: A Qualitative Case Study on Winter Bathing's Impact on Mental Health.
Article in Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Cold-water exposure and psychological outcomes in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Pooled it
- Winter Bathing: An Ice-Cold Strategy for Improving Quality of Life for People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- The meaning of cold bathing in middle aged and elderly people in Sweden - a phenomenological hermeneutic study.International journal of circumpolar health · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMental health disease constitutes 25% of the total burden of disease in Denmark. In the last few years, an increasing tendency for seeking the ocean has arisen, and winter bathing is one of the outdoor activities with a large rise in popularity.
objectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore if and how regular winter bathing in blue spaces can affect people's mental health.
methodsThis study employed a qualitative design using fieldwork with semi-structured interviews with four members from three different winter bathing clubs. The empirical data were thematically analyzed followed by theoretical analysis.
resultsThe results revealed five themes: Social Connectedness; Blue Nature as a Free Space; The Motivation Behind Winter Bathing; It is More Than an Ice-Cold Shock; and Finding Mental Peace in Winter Bathing. The results suggest that winter bathing in blue spaces contributed to improved mental health for the informants.
conclusionsIn conclusion, regular winter bathing enhanced the participants' mental health. A relatively short time in the ice-cold water provided mental peace which transferred to the rest of daily life in general, which emphasizes the mental health-promoting potential of winter bathing. Positive emotions were cultivated through exposure to blue spaces, including inner calm and a sense of safety. Winter bathing also served as a space for social connectedness and community building, facilitated by the club environment in which meaningful social interactions occurred.
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