Social Work and Human Animal Bonds and Benefits in Health Research

Hanrahan, Cassandra

doi:10.22329/csw.v14i1.5873

Cited by 15 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Following the Nova Scotia study, we reviewed the literature to ensure we captured the most recent, Canadian contributions to the field of human-animal interactions and social work. Hanrahan (2013) found that "there were no benchmarks for the social work population as a whole, but it was possible to separate out those who are actively involved with human-animal considerations in intake and treatment, from those who are not, and measure those classes against a set of behavioural measures" (p. 69). The behavioural measures replicated from her work were (a) whether the respondents currently have or had ever had a companion animal, (b) whether they had made a financial donation to an animal protection or rights organization in the last year, and (c) whether they had volunteered at an animal shelter or rescue group in the last year.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Social work's growing interest in the benefits of human-animal interactions, including the HAB with companion animals and within AAI, is indicated by the recent developments in the professional and academic literature (Legge, 2016;Risley-Curtiss et al, 2006). An emerging body of social work scholarship supports this, including the Nova Scotia and U.S. social work surveys (Hanrahan, 2013;Risley-Curtiss, 2010). Authors have explored ethical issues in relation to social work's anthropocentric orientation (Hanrahan, 2011;Ryan 2011).…”

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The congruency between AAI and anti-oppressive social work is indicated by similarities in theoretical underpinnings, and in the barriers to and benefits of both AAI and anti-oppressive social work strategies. However, research findings indicate many social workers are unaware of these possible benefits and are thus not recognizing companion animals or including animals in their interventions with clients (Hanrahan, 2013;Legge, 2016). Additionally, the research conducted by Risley-Curtiss (2010) in the U.S. and Hanrahan (2013) in Eastern Canada found that many of the social worker survey participants who were including animals in their interventions were doing so without adequate training or education.…”

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, research findings indicate many social workers are unaware of these possible benefits and are thus not recognizing companion animals or including animals in their interventions with clients (Hanrahan, 2013;Legge, 2016). Additionally, the research conducted by Risley-Curtiss (2010) in the U.S. and Hanrahan (2013) in Eastern Canada found that many of the social worker survey participants who were including animals in their interventions were doing so without adequate training or education. Thus, the implementation of AAI in practice without adequate knowledge can lead to ethical and safety issues for social workers, clients and animals (Buck & Rauscher, 2019;Evans & Gray, 2012;Glenk, 2017;Taylor, Fraser, Signal, & Prentice, 2014).…”

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To help address the current gap, our study replicated a survey across the three Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan that was first implemented nationally in the U.S. in 2010 (Risley-Curtiss, 2010) and three years later in Nova Scotia (Hanrahan, 2013). The survey explores social workers' knowledge and practice of human-animal interactions in social work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Human-animal Interaction In Social Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recognizing Animals as an Important Part of Helping

Chalmers

Dell

Dixon

et al. 2020

csw

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Secondary traumatic stress and veterinarians: Human–animal bonds as psychosocial determinants of health.

2018

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Among health care professionals, veterinarians and veterinarian technicians (VVT) have been largely overlooked in terms of the consequences of preferred coping style, stress management, and care work (e.g., burnout, secondary traumatic stress [STS], and moral distress). STS, often referred to as compassion fatigue, can have serious negative physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual impacts. Although trauma research has begun to shed light on the development of STS as an adverse consequence of care work, a limited understanding exists within the extant literature about the role of other factors such as individual coping style on the development of STS among health care professionals in general, but among veterinarians specifically. This lack of attention on VVT is not surprising when one considers disproportionate lower ranking of veterinarian medicine within the larger medical hierarchy, in which doctors of humans are generally bestowed with greater prestige. Within trauma research, no understanding exists within the extant literature about the relational significance of human-animal bonds in veterinary settings regarding the development of STS, and how they may function as social determinants of health, impacting both professional and organizational well-being. This discussion article seeks to add clarity to the issue as well as challenge current perceptions of veterinary work, its health consequences on VVT, and anthropocentrism in research more generally. Implications for education and research are provided.

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Being Different with Different Beings: Social Work and Trans-species Spirituality

Hanrahan¹

2016

Practising Spirituality

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Social Work and Human Animal Bonds and Benefits in Health Research

Cited by 15 publications

References 61 publications

Recognizing Animals as an Important Part of Helping

Recognizing Animals as an Important Part of Helping

Secondary traumatic stress and veterinarians: Human–animal bonds as psychosocial determinants of health.

Being Different with Different Beings: Social Work and Trans-species Spirituality

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