Children report positive experiences of animal‐assisted therapy in paediatric hospital care

Abstract

Aim To evaluate children's experiences of and responses to animal‐assisted therapy using a therapy dog as complementary treatment in paediatric hospital care. Methods The study was performed using mixed methods, by means of qualitative and quantitative data. Fifty children in a paediatric surgery ward, at a tertiary hospital in Sweden, were included between February 2016 to May 2017. Children answered questions about feelings of well‐being and experiences of the hospital stay before and after animal‐assisted therapy, and experiences of their interaction with a therapy dog. Results The children's well‐being increased from moderately good before to very good after animal‐assisted therapy, and the children assessed the hospital stay as better after than before. The vast majority of the children (93%) assessed the interaction with the dog as very good. The children described mixed experiences before and mainly positive aspects of joy, satisfaction and pain relief after animal‐assisted therapy. Conclusion The children's responses before interaction, of both a positive and negative nature, show a focus shift after the interaction with a therapy dog to mainly positive nature regarding self‐reported feeling of well‐being and experiences of the hospital stay. Using a therapy dog in paediatric hospital care is suitable complementary treatment.

The effects of facility dogs on burnout, job‐related well‐being, and mental health in paediatric hospital professionals

“…It seems likely that faster rapport and better connections with patients, as catalysed by the facility dog, would augment success in the role of a child‐life specialist. This is consistent with findings that, after visiting with a therapy dog, paediatric patients described healthcare professionals as friendly and as making their hospital stays easier (Lindström Nilsson et al, 2020). On the other hand, there was no significant relationship between working with a facility dog and burnout in terms of perceived emotional exhaustion.…”

“…According to prior research, therapy dogs may provide significant benefits to paediatric patients’ physical and mental health, including reduced fear, anxiety and perceived pain (e.g. Crossman et al, 2020; Lindström Nilsson et al, 2020). Some hospitals feature full‐time therapy dogs, termed ‘facility dogs’, that work with paediatric healthcare professionals in goal‐directed practices to improve the patient experience (Schilp, 2019).…”

The Childhood Cancer Centre Is Coming Home: Experiences of Hospital-Based Home Care

“…If the children were sad, the pets could help them feel happy again. The importance of a pet has also been confirmed in previous research [ 37 , 38 ] and stresses the therapeutic effects of having animals in care situations [ 39 ].…”

Acceptability of AAI from the Perspective of Elderly Clients, Family Members, and Staff—A Pilot Study

“…It seems appropriate, especially for older clients, to explain everything thoroughly and patiently and to respect possible concerns. In a study by Lindström Nilsson et al [ 43 ] on children, pediatric clients reported mixed feelings (positive and negative) before therapy and rated therapy as an unexpected event, while after AAI they all reported a positive experience. A patient approach, sufficient explanation, and time seem to help overcome any initial concerns.…”