Winter bathing in Denmark. A qualitative case study on winter bathing’s impact on mental health

Mental disease constitutes 25 % of the total burden of disease in Denmark. In the last few years an increasing tendency for seeking the ocean has arised, and winter bathing is one of the outdoor ac-tivities with a large rise in popularity. The purpose of this study was to explore if and how regular winter bathing in blue spaces can affect people’s mental health. The 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 theoretically analysis. The results revealed five themes: Social connectedness; Blue nature as a free space; The motivation behind; It’s more than an ice-cold shock; and Mental peace due to winter bathing. The results suggest that winter bathing in blue spaces contributed to improved mental health for the informants. In conclusions, regular winter bathing enhanced the participants’ mental health. Rela-tively short time in the ice-cold water provided mental peace 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.