Animal-Assisted Therapy and Agitation and Depression in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Matched Case–Control Trial

Majić, Tomislav; Gutzmann, Hans; Heinz, Andreas; Lang, Undine E.; Rapp, Michael A.

doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2013.03.004

Cited by 131 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…11 Patients who received "usual treatment" showed worsening symptoms. 11 In addition, contact with animals, including pets, has social benefit and reduces loneliness.…”

Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Cherniack

2015

CMAJ

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“…11 Patients who received "usual treatment" showed worsening symptoms. 11 In addition, contact with animals, including pets, has social benefit and reduces loneliness.…”

Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Cherniack

2015

CMAJ

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“…This may in part be due to a gap in evidence or in evidence failing to inform or reach practitioners and policy makers responsible for care planning arrangements. Whilst the benefits of formalised AAT for conditions such as dementia [18, 19], cancer [20, 21] and childhood developmental disorders [22, 23] are gaining recognition, there is currently a lack of evidence exploring the contribution of pets in the broader context of support networks and the role they may play in recovery-orientated activities and the management of mental health.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: a study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition

et al. 2016

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BackgroundDespite evidence that connecting people to relevant wellbeing-related resources brings therapeutic benefit, there is limited understanding, in the context of mental health recovery, of the potential value and contribution of pet ownership to personal support networks for self-management. This study aimed to explore the role of pets in the support and management activities in the personal networks of people with long-term mental health problems.MethodsSemi-structured interviews centred on ‘ego’ network mapping were conducted in two locations (in the North West and in the South of England) with 54 participants with a diagnosis of a long-term mental health problem. Interviews explored the day-to-day experience of living with a mental illness, informed by the notion of illness work undertaken by social network members within personal networks. Narratives were elicited that explored the relationship, value, utility and meaning of pets in the context of the provision of social support and management provided by other network members. Interviews were recorded, then transcribed verbatim before being analysed using a framework analysis.ResultsThe majority of pets were placed in the central, most valued circle of support within the network diagrams. Pets were implicated in relational work through the provision of secure and intimate relationships not available elsewhere. Pets constituted a valuable source of illness work in managing feelings through distraction from symptoms and upsetting experiences, and provided a form of encouragement for activity. Pets were of enhanced salience where relationships with other network members were limited or difficult. Despite these benefits, pets were unanimously neither considered nor incorporated into individual mental health care plans.ConclusionsDrawing on a conceptual framework built on Corbin and Strauss’s notion of illness ‘work’ and notions of a personal workforce of support undertaken within whole networks of individuals, this study contributes to our understanding of the role of pets in the daily management of long-term mental health problems. Pets should be considered a main rather than a marginal source of support in the management of long-term mental health problems, and this has implications for the planning and delivery of mental health services.

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“…However, since the total scores increased once again at post-test 2, no conclusions can be drawn about the remaining long-term effects of DAI. Majic, Gutzmann [25] studied the mid-to long-term efficacy of DAI for a period of 4 weeks and found that DAI had possible short-term effects. Their conclusion is that long-term effects might not be expected, which seems in line with the present findings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of dog-assisted intervention on quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia

Kårefjärd

Nordgren

2018

Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy

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Background: People with dementia often have a poor quality of life. Therefore, methods that can improve their life situation must be identified. One promising method is dog-assisted intervention. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dog-assisted intervention on quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia. Materials and methods: A one-group, pretest post-test study design was used. Quality of life was measured using the QUALID in 59 nursing home residents prior to and after a dog-assisted intervention. Non-parametric tests were used to analyze the data, and effect sizes were calculated. Results: The participants' total scores improved significantly between baseline and post-test 1 (p ¼ < 0.001) and worsened significantly at post-test 2 (p ¼ 0.025). The largest effect size was found for the item 'Verbalization suggests discomfort' (p ¼ 0.001). Conclusion:The results indicate that dog-assisted interventions can have positive effects on quality of life in nursing home residents with moderate to severe dementia. Significance: The results contribute to a growing knowledge base about non-pharmacological methods that can be used in dementia care. Occupational therapists should consider dogassisted interventions when planning activities that can reduce the illness burden and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

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Animal-Assisted Therapy and Agitation and Depression in Nursing Home Residents with Dementia: A Matched Case–Control Trial

Cited by 131 publications

References 38 publications

Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

Ontological security and connectivity provided by pets: a study in the self-management of the everyday lives of people diagnosed with a long-term mental health condition

Effects of dog-assisted intervention on quality of life in nursing home residents with dementia

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