No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Studies of the effects of animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) face a number of theoretical and practical challenges. Proposed theoretical processes for the effects of AAIs include those that address primarily the animal’s ability to facilitate human–human social engagement, those that emphasize animals’ apparent capacity to trigger social attachments and provide nonhuman social support, those that categorize certain animals as supernormal stimuli, those that advance a biophilia hypothesis that living organisms have an innate ability to attract and hold human attention, and those that promote an integrative biopsychosocial model. Each of these generates potentially testable hypotheses, and the field would benefit from systematic efforts to address their validity. Practical challenges to AAI research include issues of study design and methodology, the heterogeneity of both AAI recipients and the animals participating in these interventions, the welfare of these animals, and the unusual pressure from the public and media to report and publish positive findings. Such challenges need to be carefully considered in designing and implementing future studies in the field.
The present meta-analysis examined the efficacy of animal-assisted psychotherapy for individuals who have experienced trauma. Eight studies quantitatively assessed the treatment effects of involvement in animal-assisted psychotherapy. A random effects model was used to aggregate each study into an overall effect size. Eight effect sizes were included in the pre-versus post-comparison analysis. The results indicate a large effect size (Hedge’s g = 0.86, p < 0.001, 95% CI [.53, 1.18]). Two effect sizes were included in the treatment versus control comparison analysis. The results indicated a small to moderate effect size (g = 0.46, p = 0.03, 95% CI [0.04, 0.06]). Limited moderator analyses were able to be conducted due to lack of consistent reporting across studies. Place of study and percentage of female participants in the treatment group were found to statistically moderate the effect of animal-assisted psychotherapy. The results indicate that animal-assisted therapy is an efficacious treatment for trauma.
Context:
Human-animal interaction (HAI) is widely used as a method of reducing psychological distress. However, research findings in support of HAI have not kept pace with the widespread prevalence in practice.
Objective:
I review and synthesize the quantitative evidence for the influence of HAI on psychological distress and outline future directions for research.
Results:
The evidence suggests that HAI has a small-to-medium effect on distress but does not clarify whether animals account for the treatment effects. Research also has not determined whether positive effects observed in circumscribed HAI programs extend to companion animal ownership.
Conclusion:
HAI research needs to address methodological limitations and expand the focus beyond treatment outcome studies. By increasing our understanding of the processes through which HAI reduces distress, the circumstances under which it is most effective at doing so, and the influence HAI has on the animals, we can enhance the impact of HAI.
The present study was a randomized controlled trial examining the psychological and physiological effects of adding animal-assisted therapy (AAT) to a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (MBSR) for clients experiencing psychological distress. It was hypothesized that AAT would complement mindfulness-based interventions because the therapy dog will provide a focus for attention to the current experience and exemplify acceptance and "being," enabling the understanding and practice of the main aspects of mindfulness. Participants (n = 21) were randomly assigned to an MBSR or MBSR + AAT group and then completed an intervention consisting of six 50-minute individual therapy sessions. Each session included didactic and experiential components modified for delivery with or without a certified therapy dog. State and trait mindfulness, psychological distress measures, blood pressure, and heart rate were assessed at each session. Results indicate that all participants experienced fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, decreased psychological distress, and increased mindfulness skills from pre- to post-treatment. Additionally, state anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate decreased within sessions. No significant difference was found between the control and experimental groups, indicating that interaction with a therapy dog had no impact on symptom reduction, skill acquisition, or client satisfaction in the current study. However, moderate to large effect size estimates indicate clinically significant differences between groups, with higher ratings for the MBSR + AAT group on therapist efficacy, recommending the training, and participating in future treatment. Future studies need to increase methodological rigor by including multiple therapist/dog teams and increasing sample size. Moreover, researchers must more thoroughly examine the role the dog might have in altering the social environment, such as reducing stigma surrounding mental health services and enhancing the therapeutic alliance.
The other end of the leash: Why we do what we do around dogs
- P B Mcconnell
Adding equine-assisted psychotherapy to conventional treatments: A pilot study exploring ways to increase adult female self-efficacy among victims of interpersonal violence
- W K Whittlesey-Jerome