Animal-Assisted Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2016 to 2020

Nieforth, Leanne O.; Schwichtenberg, A. J.; O’Haire, Marguerite E.

doi:10.1007/s40489-021-00291-6

Cited by 22 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 70 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Second, to assess the methodological rigor the following data were extracted: sample size, study design, effect size, control condition, ethical approvals, and assessment measures. To assess the quality of the evidence each publication was given a methodological rigor score based on 15 characteristics, replicating the methods used in other systematic reviews in the human-animal interaction field ( S2 Table ) [ 23 , 24 ]. Finally, measures and results (including positive, neutral or null, and negative findings) were extracted in order to summarize reported outcomes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To assess the quality of the evidence each publication was given a methodological rigor score based on 15 characteristics, replicating the methods used in other systematic reviews in the human-animal interaction field (S2 Table) [23,24]. Finally, measures and results (including positive, neutral or null, and negative findings) were extracted in order to summarize reported outcomes.…”

Section: Data Extraction and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis

2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Psychiatric assistance dogs for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) currently make up over 19% of assistance dog partnerships globally. We conducted a systematic review of the literature relating to these partnerships, with specific aims to (1) summarize their characteristics, (2) evaluate the quality of existing evidence, and (3) summarize outcomes. A total of 432 records were independently screened (Cohen’s kappa = 0.90). Of these, 41 articles (29 peer-reviewed publications and 12 unpublished dissertations) met inclusion criteria. Data extraction was conducted to address the research aims, including a meta-analysis (quantitative outcomes) and meta-synthesis (qualitative outcomes). All peer-reviewed publications on the topic of psychiatric assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD were published within the last five years. The majority of included articles were quantitative (53%), 41% were qualitative, and 6% employed mixed methods. Mean methodological rigor scores were 80% for peer reviewed articles and 71% for dissertations, where higher scores represent more rigorous methodology. Quantitative articles reported significant improvements in the domains of PTSD severity, mental health, and social health. Impacts on physical health and global quality of life appear inconclusive. Meta-analysis (9 articles) revealed that partnership with an assistance dog had a clinically meaningful, significant, and large effect on PTSD severity scores (g = −1.129; p<0.0001). Qualitative meta-synthesis identified two third order constructs: (1) Impact on the individual: mental & physical health and (2) Impact beyond the individual: building relationships & connection. This synthesis of increasingly prevalent research on assistance dogs for veterans with PTSD provides support for the impact of this complementary and integrative health intervention on PTSD symptom severity, and signs of meaningful improvements in adjacent domains including mental and social health. Gaps between quantitative and qualitative findings, along with the need to report greater demographic detail, highlight key opportunities for future research.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Data Extraction and Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis

2022

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In 2012, Marino addressed construct validity in AAIs and concluded in a review that it is a hugely neglected topic (Marino, 2012 ). One decade later, the evidence of the effectiveness of AAIs is increasing (Waite et al, 2018 ; Wood and Fields, 2019 ; Borgi et al, 2020 ; Babka et al, 2021 ; Chang et al, 2021 ; Diniz Pinto et al, 2021 ; Hediger et al, 2021 ; Nieforth et al, 2021 ), but the question of construct validity is still unresolved. Previous research has mainly focused on investigating if AAIs work but almost entirely ignored the question of how it works.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Specific and Non-specific Factors of Animal-Assisted Interventions Considered in Research: A Systematic Review

Wagner

Grob²,

Hediger³

2022

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Research on animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) has increased massively in the last few years. But it is still not clear how AAIs work and how important the animal is in such interventions. The aim of this systematic review was to compile the existing state of knowledge about the working mechanisms of AAIs. We searched 12 major electronic databases for previous AAI studies with active control groups. Of 2001 records identified, we included 172 studies in the systematic review. We extracted previously published hypotheses about working mechanisms and factors that have been implicitly considered specific or non-specific in AAI research by categorizing control conditions using content analysis. We analyzed the categories using descriptive statistics. We found that 84% of the included studies mentioned a hypothesis of working mechanisms, but 16% did not define specific hypotheses. By analyzing their control conditions, we found that in most controlled studies, the animal or the interaction with the animal was implicitly considered as a specific factor for the effects of the AAI. Non-specific factors such as therapeutic aspects, social interactions, or novelty have also been controlled for. We conclude that AAI research still cannot answer the question of how and why AAIs work. To address this important research gap, we suggest using component studies with innovative control conditions and results from placebo research to address both the specific and non-specific, contextual factors of AAIs to disentangle its mechanisms.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=158103, identifier: CRD42020158103.

show abstract

“…Emerging evidence suggests animals, particularly therapeutic horseback riding (THR), can improve self-regulation related behaviors (i.e., irritability and hyperactivity) in youth with ASD ( 21 ). Reviews have also reported that a variety of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) for youth with ASD have found decreased problematic behaviors, increased positive emotions, and decreased physiological and behavioral indicators of stress ( 22 , 23 ). Given these emerging findings paired with the Yerkes-Dodson theory of optimal arousal leading to enhanced performance, interacting with animals may induce a calm and regulated, yet still motivated and alert state of arousal in youth with ASD.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-Regulation Mediates Therapeutic Horseback Riding Social Functioning Outcomes in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emerging evidence suggests therapeutic horseback riding improves self-regulation behaviors, social functioning, and language in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been theorized that interacting with horses is calming for youth with ASD, which may influence social and language outcomes. The current study is an exploratory secondary mediation analysis of a previously published randomized controlled trial of therapeutic horseback riding for youth with ASD. We hypothesized that self-regulation would mediate therapeutic horseback riding's effect on social and language outcomes in youth with ASD. Results indicate that self-regulation mediates therapeutic horseback riding's effect on social, but not language outcomes. This paper provides support for the hypothesis that interacting with horses may have a calming effect that serves as a platform for improving social outcomes in youth with autism.

show abstract

Animal-Assisted Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature from 2016 to 2020

Cited by 22 publications

References 70 publications

Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis

Assistance dogs for military veterans with PTSD: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-synthesis

Specific and Non-specific Factors of Animal-Assisted Interventions Considered in Research: A Systematic Review

Self-Regulation Mediates Therapeutic Horseback Riding Social Functioning Outcomes in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About