The Role of Animal Assisted Intervention on Improving Self-Esteem in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the most ubiquitous mental health problem in children, has been associated with poor self-esteem. Psychosocial interventions have aimed to improve self-esteem among this group, with the aim of reducing the development of comorbid depression and anxiety. The present study implemented a randomized control design to examine the possibility of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) as a viable approach to improving self-esteem among children with ADHD. Children's self-esteem across multiple domains as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children was evaluated (n = 80, ages 7–9, 71% male). To test the hypothesis that AAI improves self-esteem, stratified Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Tests (SAS NPAR1WAY procedure) were used to compare pre- to post-treatment ratings. Analyses indicated that scores of children's self-perceptions in the domains of behavioral conduct, social, and scholastic competence, were significantly increased from baseline to post-treatment in the AAI group (z = 2.320, p = .021, z = 2.631, p = .008, and z = 2.541, p = .011, respectively), whereas pre-post-treatment differences in self-perceptions were not found for the children in the control group without AAI. Findings suggest that AAI is a viable strategy for improving ratings of self-perceived self-esteem in children with ADHD.

Association Between Greenness Surrounding Schools and Kindergartens and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children in China

“…21 The following variables were retained as confounders in multivariable regression models: children's age, 22,23 children's sex, 24,25 parental education level, 26,27 household income level, 26,27 type of home district, 26,27 and dog ownership. 28…”

Análisis Normativo Del Bienestar Animal en España Y Latinoamérica: Especial Referencia a La Labor De Los Perros en La Construcción De Paz

“…También hay estudios que muestran que el mero hecho de acariciar a un perro disminuye la tensión arterial y la frecuencia cardiaca y han probado ser útiles en la disminución de los síntomas de la depresión en personas mayores que residen en centros de la tercera edad. Además, el mero hecho de poder interactuar con los perros ha demostrado tener un efecto positivo en el bienestar, la ansiedad y el humor (Ambrosi, et al, 2018) y pueden ser de gran ayuda para niños con TDAH (Schuck, et al, 2018).…”

Human-Animal Interaction Research: Progress and Possibilities

“…Funding opportunities under the PPP were later expanded to include people with disabilities and those in need of rehabilitative services, further broadening the range of human participants (although this is not represented in this Research Topic because those studies are ongoing). In addition, the study participants represented in this Research Topic include children and adolescents from a wide variety of normative (e.g., Meints et al, 2018) and clinical populations (e.g., Gabriels et al, 2018;Schuck et al, 2018). Approximately half of the studies (7) represented are based on samples of typically developing children, with another including them as one of three subgroups.…”