Effects of Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Youth

Mueller, Megan K.; McCullough, Leslie

doi:10.1007/s10826-016-0648-6

Cited by 35 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…While they observe that dogs are a primary area of interest, evolving with humans for over 10 000 years, 3 research has investigated a range of therapy, assistance and companion animals. These have included insects, 4 fish, 5 horses, 6 pets in general 7,8 and robotic animals including dogs, cats and seals. [9][10][11][12][13] Assistance, therapy and companion dogs have been used with people with a broad range of disabilities and support needs, with the best known being in the areas of assistance dogs for people who are deaf, blind or vision-impaired.…”

Section: Therapy Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trained assistance dogs for people with dementia: a systematic review

Marks,

McVilly

2020

Psychogeriatrics

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This systematic review investigated evidence for the effectiveness of trained assistance dogs as an intervention and support for people with dementia. Peer‐reviewed articles were retrieved from multiple databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Reference lists of the articles retrieved were also screened to identify key authors for inclusion. Articles were subject to a quality review, and the results synthesised to address the research questions. Both qualitative and quantitative data were reported. There was evidence of the potential positive effects of dog‐assisted interventions in relation to mood, prosocial behaviours, activities of daily living and/or quality of life, cognitive impairment and symptoms specific to dementia, and existential functions. However, the form and quality of the studies varied considerably. It was concluded that further research is needed, particularly for those with younger onset dementia (YOD), for whom there were no specific studies available. Attention needs to be given to establishing adequate‐sized samples and designs incorporating control groups. Research would benefit from employing mixed‐methods, allowing for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. For deteriorating conditions such as the dementias, studies need to be conducted over time. Furthermore, given the important place family members play in the lives of those with dementia, the effects of dog‐assisted interventions on the wider family should also be considered.

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Section: Therapy Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trained assistance dogs for people with dementia: a systematic review

Marks,

McVilly

2020

Psychogeriatrics

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“…Animals introduce a relationship dynamic that may be absent from the traditional child‐psychotherapist dyad which has been found to enhance the child's feelings of purpose and mastery (Hamama et al, ). This is a key outcome sought in other AATs as well, particularly equine‐facilitated psychotherapy, where the taming of such a large animal is a favoured approach for use with older children (Mueller & McCullough, ). Going forward, it may be useful to gauge the acceptability of equine therapies for different age groups as well, which may contribute to building a more comprehensive framework of the uses of different AAT approaches for various clinical populations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Canine co‐therapy: The potential of dogs to improve the acceptability of trauma‐focused therapies for children

Dravsnik

Signal

Canoy

2018

Australian Journal of Psychology

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Objective: Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating syndrome that effects approximately 30% of those who experience childhood trauma. Whilst effective treatments exist, they have high rates of attrition and non-engagement. Augmenting traditional interventions such as trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy is an approach often used to address this problem. The current study aimed to assess the acceptability of a novel adjunct, canine-assisted therapy, which may be particularly useful with younger children. Method: A community sample of Australian parents and caregivers (N = 267) read one of two vignettes describing problematic behaviour following sexual trauma in either a 6-or 13-year-old girl. Participants then rated their acceptability of three described treatment alternatives; traditional therapy alone, with medication and with canine-assisted therapy, using the Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form. Results: Regardless of the age of the child traditional therapy with canine-assisted adjunct had the highest acceptability. Adjunct medication was the least acceptable approach, particularly in those with no prior psychoactive medication experience. Conclusions: Canine-assisted therapy as an adjunct to traditional cognitive-behavioural approaches holds promise as a way to improve acceptability. Implications and future research directions are discussed.

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“…While most studies indicate the positive health benefits, a few report more neutral results. For example, a recent study by Mueller and Mccullough (2017) found equine-facilitated psychotherapy reduced overall symptoms of PTSD but was not more effective than traditional treatment options.…”

Section: Animal-assisted Interventionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognizing Animals as an Important Part of Helping

Chalmers

Dell

Dixon

et al. 2020

csw

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The beneficial role of companion animals on human health and wellbeing across the life span is well documented in the rapidly expanding multi disciplinary body of literature known as human animal interactions (HAI). Social workers practice at the interface of people and their diverse environments. The presence of human animal bonds (HAB) within client systems, between people and companion animals in particular, are increasingly acknowledged and valued by social workers. Additionally, some social workers incorporate animals in their practice through animal assisted interventions (AAI). However, there is a paucity of empirical literature on social workers’ knowledge about and experiences with the inclusion of animals. We conducted a survey across three prairie provinces in Canada, replicating a study that was first implemented nationwide in the U.S. and later in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The survey explored social workers’ knowledge of HAI in social work. The results, similar to the Nova Scotia and U.S. findings, suggest that s social workers have general knowledge about HAI and the HAB, and that some do incorporate animals in practice. Social workers seem to have increasing knowledge and skills about HAI. While this is a positive trend, there is nonetheless a need for specialized education and training on the beneficial impact that companion animals can have on social work practice. In this paper, the application of zooeyia within social work is adopted as one approach to understanding HAB. Important implications for human health and wellbeing and social work practice at the practitioner and organizational levels are discussed.

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Effects of Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy on Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Youth

Cited by 35 publications

References 32 publications

Trained assistance dogs for people with dementia: a systematic review

Trained assistance dogs for people with dementia: a systematic review

Canine co‐therapy: The potential of dogs to improve the acceptability of trauma‐focused therapies for children

Recognizing Animals as an Important Part of Helping

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