Animal-assisted interventions in adult hospital rehabilitation settings: A scoping review.

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have the potential to enhance people's well-being and function and are increasingly being implemented across a range of settings. This scoping review explored how AAIs have been used in adult hospital rehabilitative care. Using JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search of four databases was undertaken. Inclusion criteria involved adults, aged >18 years, who had received AAIs in the hospital rehabilitation setting. Twenty-two articles met the inclusion criteria. Results identified two intervention types: visitation activities (n = 8 studies) and structured therapeutic interventions (n = 14 studies). Dogs were the most common animal species. Improvements in social and emotional well-being were reported across both types of interventions, with improvements in ambulation, motor skills, and verbal communication reported by those engaged in structured therapeutic interventions. Implementation challenges included a dependency on volunteer dog-handlers; the need for better recording of interventions in medical records to enable evaluation; and cost, safety, infection control, and animal welfare considerations. Strengthening the planning of AAIs is fundamental for the realization of potential outcomes from human-animal interactions in hospital rehabilitative care.

Animal-Assisted Therapy as an Intervention for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis to Guide Evidence-Based Practice.

BACKGROUND: Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can ameliorate diverse health problems in older adults. However, applications of AAT have been limited because of the lack of intervention guidelines for older adults. AIMS: This study aimed to explore applications of AAT to older adults, analyze its health effects, and provide evidence for future interventions. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. Data were analyzed based on both a narrative synthesis and a meta-analysis specifically for depression. RESULTS: A total of 47 studies were selected for analysis. About 45% focused on older adults with diseases such as dementia, and 57.4% selected dog(s) as an intervention animal. About 34.0% delivered interventions once a week, and the behavioral outcome domain was the most frequently investigated. The meta-analysis showed that the effect sizes of the AAT group were -1.310 (95% CI [-1.900, -.721]). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: This review provides evidence for AAT as an intervention in the physiological, psychosocial, cognitive, and behavioral domains of older adults. When planning interventions for older adults, nurses should consider intended health outcomes, appropriate therapeutic animals, and the consequent intervention contents.

"Recovering With Nature": A Review of Ecotherapy and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Connection with nature has been considered beneficial for psychological well-being since times of evolution. Differences in Indian and Western thoughts have viewed natural elements in different lights, varying between eco-centrism to anthropocentrism. The intrusion of technology and digitalized lives as a result of globalization has decreased connectedness with nature. Ecotherapy is a novel form of psychotherapeutic technique based on explicit environmental or ecological interventions. Social and therapeutic horticulture, animal-assisted interventions, care farming, green exercise, environmental conservation and wilderness therapy are some of the ecosystem-based approaches used in mental health. Based on the principles of positive and client-centered psychology, ecotherapy-related techniques have been shown to be effective in medical disorders like hypertension, obesity, post-surgical recovery and psychosocial conditions like depression, stress reduction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and adjustment disorders. The principles of ecotherapy have been integrated into other psychotherapeutic techniques for better efficacy. This review attempts provides an overview of techniques, applications and challenges related to ecotherapy in psychology. The implications of its use during the ongoing Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, social isolation and consequent psychosocial aftermath are also discussed.

Pediatric Oncology and Animal-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Review.

Animal-assisted interventions are part of the therapeutic plan in pediatric oncology. This is the first systematic review to summarize the literature and provide insights for new clinical approaches, policy, best practices, and standards. The results underline the potentially beneficial role for pediatric patients, parents, caregivers, and medical staff.

The Impact of a Care Recipient's Pet on the Instrumental Caregiving Experience.

Older adults report strong emotional bonds with their pets which often become increasingly important as health declines and dependence upon others increases. Individuals requiring assistance meeting their own needs are likely to need assistance in meeting the needs of their pet. The care recipient's pet may be an important, though presently overlooked, factor in the caregiving experience. This study measured the amount of care tasks/ activities informal caregivers of older adults devoted to their care recipients' pet. Caregivers for an individual aged 50 and older who did not consider the care recipient's pet to be his/her own animal completed an online questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used in analyses. Caregivers (N = 34) performed an average of 14.9 (SD = 5.4) different pet care tasks/activities and an average of 11.21 (SD = 1.33) hours per week in pet care. The total number of tasks/activities performed was significantly and positively correlated with the care recipients' degree of functional limitation (r = 0.49, p = 0.004). Care recipients' pets may be a significant factor in shaping the instrumental caregiving experience.

Efectividad de la terapia asistida con animales en pacientes con demencias, una revisión sistemática / Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in patients with dementia: A systematic review

Objetivo: Sintetizar la efectividad presentada por estudios originales previos de la terapia asistida con animales en la sintomatología de personas con demencia. Material y métodos: Se desarrolló una estrategia de búsqueda en las bases de datos PUBMED, DIALNET, PEDro y CSIC con el fin de captar todos aquellos ensayos clínicos publicados entre 2003 y 2015 en inglés y español. Los términos de búsqueda incluyeron la combinación de las palabras clave: «dog therapy, dementia, pet therapy, mental illnes, animal assisted, ederly patients, animal assisted therapy, terapia asistida con animales, demencia, Alzheimer». Se seleccionaron 3 registros de los 157 localizados tras aplicar los criterios de inclusión. Conclusiones: La terapia más utilizada a la hora de llevar a cabo terapia asistida con animales en demencia es la canina. Esta terapia produce una mejora en el comportamiento, estado de ánimo, calidad de vida, actividades de la vida diaria y en el estrés mental de personas que padecen demencia

Objective: To analyse the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy on the symptoms of dementia as shown in previous studies. Material and methods: A search strategy was developed using the PUBMED, DIALNET, PEDro and CSIC databases to capture all clinical trials published between 2003 and 2015 in English and Spanish. Search terms included the combination of the keywords: 'dog therapy, dementia, pet therapy, mental illness, animal assisted, elderly patients, animal assisted therapy, animal assisted therapy, dementia, Alzheimer's.' Three records were selected from the 157 located after applying the inclusion criteria. Conclusions: The dog is the most commonly used in animal-assisted therapy in dementia. This therapy produces an improvement in behaviour, mood, quality of life, activities of daily living, and mental stress of people with dementia

Reflections on Recent Research Into Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Military and Beyond.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of the present review was threefold: to address the current state of Animal-Assisted Interactions (AAI) within the military; to summarize recent literature (within the past three years) in the field of AAI; and to discuss trends in AAI research since 2014. RECENT FINDINGS: With regard to AAI within the military, several canine interaction programs have been utilized to assist service members in coping with various issues. Therapy dogs have been deployed with Combat-Operational Stress Control units; they have been integrated into medical clinics and behavioral health treatment programs in garrison; and policy has been developed to address the use of therapy animals in military treatment facilities. General research in AAI has demonstrated efficacy for certain presenting issues (stress management, trauma, autism spectrum disorder) and specific populations (children, the elderly, acute care patients). Overall trends in research include calls for increased consideration for animal welfare in AAI and increased rigor in research methodology. Current research supports the structured use of therapy dogs in the treatment of various disorders and with specific populations, including military service members and veterans; however, the need for additional research with rigorous methodology remains.

[Establishment of an Animal Based Therapy at a University Hospital for Psychiatry: Results of a Preliminary Study and Future Prospects]. / Etablierung tiergestützter Therapie an einer psychiatrischen Universitätsklinik: Ergebnisse der Vorstudie und Ausblick.

Objective: Dogs have been integrated in human society over centuries. This process has selected unique social and communicative skills. Dogs are thus able to represent social substitutes for human counterparts in cases of social withdrawal. Furthermore, dogs act as "social catalysts" in promoting interhuman encounters. Thus, the integration of dogs in psychotherapeutic concepts addressing social and interpersonal deficits may be of special interest. Methods: The present investigation reports the results of a pilot study to establish animal-assisted therapy (dogs) at a psychiatric department. The animal-assisted intervention straddled the following areas: (1) contact making, communication and orientation to needs, (2) recreation and play, (3) outward orientation, (4) release and farewell. The sample comprised 22 subjects. Results: The results demonstrated in particular that the animal-assisted intervention significantly promoted unspecific aspects of positive affectivity and wellbeing. Evaluation of the overall acceptance of the dog on the psychiatric ward revealed very positive feedback. Conclusions: We conclude that animal-assisted therapies represent a significant enchrichment of the therapeutic context, that may be used to enhance the patients' openness and adherence to conventional therapies.

Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress.

CONTEXT: Human-animal interaction (HAI) is widely used as a method of reducing psychological distress. However, research findings in support of HAI have not kept pace with the widespread prevalence in practice. OBJECTIVE: I review and synthesize the quantitative evidence for the influence of HAI on psychological distress and outline future directions for research. RESULTS: The evidence suggests that HAI has a small-to-medium effect on distress but does not clarify whether animals account for the treatment effects. Research also has not determined whether positive effects observed in circumscribed HAI programs extend to companion animal ownership. CONCLUSION: HAI research needs to address methodological limitations and expand the focus beyond treatment outcome studies. By increasing our understanding of the processes through which HAI reduces distress, the circumstances under which it is most effective at doing so, and the influence HAI has on the animals, we can enhance the impact of HAI.

Estudio preliminar de la efectividad de la terapia asistida con perros en personas de la tercera edad / Effectiveness of dog-assisted therapy in the elderly. A preliminary study

Introducción. Las terapias asistidas con animales están cada vez más presentes en diferentes ámbitos educativos y sanitarios. El objetivo del presente estudio es valorar la efectividad de este tipo de intervenciones en la población de edad avanzada residente en centros privados. Material y métodos. Se diseñó un programa de intervención asistida por un perro en el que participaron 16 usuarios de una residencia geriátrica, divididos en un grupo experimental y un grupo control, durante 12 semanas. Resultados. Se evaluaron diferentes variables físicas y psicológicas antes y después de la intervención y, mientras que en el grupo control no se encontraron diferencias significativas, en el grupo experimental aparecieron mejoras posteriores a la intervención. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos refuerzan la hipótesis de que las terapias asistidas con animales pueden resultar beneficiosas para las personas de la tercera edad residentes en centros geriátricos (AU)

Introduction. Animal-assisted therapy is increasingly present in several educational and health areas. The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of such interventions in the elderly population living in residential settings. Materials and methods. A 12-week dog-assisted intervention program was designed, with 16 participants from a nursing home divided into an experimental group and a control group. Results. Several physical and psychological variables were assessed before and after the intervention. While there were no significant differences in the control group, the experimental group improved significantly after participating in the program. Discussion. The results support the hypothesis that animal-assisted interventions may be beneficial for residents in elderly care homes (AU)

Animal-assisted therapy in early childhood schools in São Paulo, Brazil / Terapia assistida por animais em escolas de educação infantil de São Paulo

Since ancient times, humans and animals have interacted for different purposes. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is used for the assistance and treatment in humans and educational projects where animals are used as co-therapists or co-educators. The use of animals facilitates the process of teaching and learning, and stimulates physical and therapeutic activities. So that knowledge on AAT could be expanded, current study analyzes the opinion of people directly involved in education on AAT implementation as an educational model in early childhood schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Questionnaires were handed out to 10 pedagogical coordinators, 32 teachers, 23 parents and 26 children aged 3-6 years. Results revealed that AAT is not well-known for most interviewees, including pedagogical coordinators, teachers and parents. However, interviewees believe in the benefits of child-pet interactions and are favorable to the implementation of AATs in schools. Projects should be interdisciplinary and must involve professionals from other areas, such as psychologists and veterinarians. Regarding the educational model, interviewees believe in the innovation capacity of AAT and in the possibilities of interdisciplinarity among teachers in the use of animals. Research also demonstrated that children like and support the use of animals in the school.(AU)

Desde a pré-história já existia a interação dos humanos com os animais com diferentes finalidades. A terapia assistida por animais (TAA) é utilizada para assistências e tratamentos em humanos e projetos pedagógicos, na qual os animais são utilizados como co-terapeutas ou co-educadores. O emprego de animais facilita o processo de ensino-aprendizagem e estimula atividades físicas e terapêuticas. Para contribuir com o conhecimento da TAA, o presente trabalho objetivou abordar a opinião de pessoas diretamente relacionadas à escola, a respeito da implantação da TAA, como modelo educacional nas escolas de educação infantil da cidade de São Paulo. Foram aplicados questionários em 10 coordenadores pedagógicos, 32 professores, 23 pais e 26 crianças de 3 a 6 anos de idade. Os resultados encontrados demonstraram que a TAA ainda não é bem conhecida por uma parcela dos entrevistados, incluindo coordenadores pedagógicos, professores e pais de alunos. No entanto, os entrevistados acreditam nos benefícios da interação criança-animal e defendem projetos voltados a implantação da TAA nas escolas, embora estes projetos devam ser interdisciplinares e envolver profissionais de outras áreas, tais como, pedagogos, psicólogos e médicos veterinários. Em relação ao modelo educacional, nossos entrevistados acreditam na capacidade inovadora da TAA, assim como, nas possibilidades de interdisciplinaridade entre os professores no uso dos animais. Também ficou demonstrado que as crianças gostam e apoiam o uso de animais na escola.(AU)

Terapia asistida con perros en pacientes con demencia y SPCd institucional en el centro residenciales de Toledo, España / No disponible

Los síntomas psicológicos y conductuales de la demencia (SPCD) generan un sufrimiento sobreañadido en el anciano y en el cuidador, agravan el deterioro cognitivo y funcional y precipitan la institucionalización del anciano (1,2). En los últimos años se ha investigado acerca de La Terapia Asistida con Animales de Compañía (TAAC) como terapia no farmacológica para el control dichos síntomas, demostrando ser una buena alternativa coste- efectiva para el tratamiento. El presente estudio valora la efectividad de la terapia para el control de síntomas conductuales en pacientes con Demencia institucionalizados. Se realizó un estudio prospectivo, multicéntrico, de manera simultánea en 2 residencias de la Provincia de Toledo, con un total de 36 pacientes, 24 con deterioro cognitivo moderado-severo y SPCD, y 12 pacientes sin demencia con trastornos afectivos. De forma aleatorizada se distribuyeron los pacientes con demencia en un grupo de intervención con TAAC (12) y un grupo control sin TAAC (12), además del grupo de sanos (12). La intervención consistía en 16 sesiones, 2 sesiones cada semana de 35 minutos de duración. La medición se realizó con las escalas de MMSE, Barthel Modificado, Cornell, Quality Scale, NPI y MOPI, antes de iniciar las terapias y al finalizar las sesiones. La terapia asistida con animales resultó eficaz tras reducir agitación y agresividad según la puntuación de NPI (P0.004) y mejoró la calidad de vida según la escala Quality of Life (P 0,004), de los pacientes con TAAC

The psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia (SPCD) generate additional suffering in the elderly and caregiver, exacerbate cognitive and functional impairment and precipitate the institutionalization of the elderly (1,2). In recent years, research has been conducted in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) as a non-drug therapy to control the symptoms, proving to be a good cost-effective alternative for treatment. Our study aims to assess the effectiveness of therapy to control behavioral symptoms [RR1] in institutionalized patients with dementia. A prospective multicenter study is performed simultaneously at two residences in the province of Toledo, with a total of 36 patients, 24 with moderate-severe cognitive impairment and SPCD, and 12 patients without dementia and affective disorders. Dementia patients were randomly divided into an intervention group with TAAC (12) and a control group without AAT (12), besides the healthy group (12). The intervention consisted of 16 sessions, 2 sessions per week for 35 minutes in duration. The measurement was performed with MMSE scales, Modified Barthel, Cornell, Quality Scale, NPI and MOPI before starting the therapies and at the end of the sessions. The animal-assisted therapy was effective after reducing agitation and aggressiveness according to an NPI score (P0.004) and improved quality of life according to the Quality of Life Scale (P 0.004), for the patients with AAT

Efectos de la terapia asistida con animales en personas con daño cerebral o lesión medular / Effects of animal assisted therapy in people with brain damage or spinal cord injury

Objetivo: Valorar los efectos terapéuticos obtenidos al aplicar un programa de terapia asistida con animales (TAA) en personas con daño cerebral o lesión medular. Material y método: Se realizó un estudio longitudinal prospectivo cuasi experimental en una población de 30 pacientes con diagnostico de daño cerebral o lesión medular. La selección se realizó mediante muestreo no probabilístico de conveniencia. Se dividieron en cinco grupos según criterios de edad. La duración del estudio fue de 16 meses, realizándose 23 sesiones de grupo, de 90 minutos de duración, durante los primeros nueve meses del estudio. Tres pacientes se perdieron durante el seguimiento. Para la evaluación se utilizó la Batería cognitiva LOTCA, el Índice de Barthel y la escala COPM. Resultados: En la valoración final, todos los pacientes mejoraron o se mantuvieron estables respecto a la valoración inicial. La evaluación COPM fue de 8,42±2,59 para la importancia, de 8,17±2,41 para el desempeño y de 8,96±2,07 en satisfacción. La valoración cognitiva mejoró en el 33% de los pacientes y la independencia funcional en el 37%. Conclusiones: La TAA puede servir como Técnica No Farmacológica (TNF) en los procesos de rehabilitación de las personas afectadas por patologías neurológicas (AU)

Objective: To evaluate the effects of animal assisted therapy (AAT) in a brain damaged or spinal injury population. Material and method: A prospective longitudinal study was undertaken on 30 patients with diagnosis of brain damage or spinal injury selected under non probabilistic accidental sampling, five groups were made according to patients age. A total of 23 sessions of AAT, 90 minutes long, were performed. Study period was 16 months, with therapy taking place in the first nine months. Three patients were lost in the follow up. Evaluation was performed using LOTCA cognitive battery test, Barthel index and COPM scale. Results: All patients showed improvement or no change according to initial evaluation. COPM evaluation were 8,42±2,59 for importance, 8,17±2,41 for performance, and 8,96±2,07 for satisfaction. Evaluation ranges from 1 to 10. Improvement was found in 33% of the patients for cognitive evaluation, and in 37% for functional independence evaluation showed improvement in most of the patients. Conclusion: AAT can be useful as non-pharmacological therapy in the rehabilitation process of neurological affected (AU)

Animal-assisted interventions for elderly patients affected by dementia or psychiatric disorders: a review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this literature review was to assess the effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) on elderly patients with dementia or various psychiatric disorders. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search using the online PubMed network of the US National Library of Medicine & National Institutes of Health, Embase, PsycINFO, with the purpose of investigating AAI effects on cognitive functions, mood, and behaviour. RESULTS: A total of 18 articles on dementia and 5 on psychiatric disorders were included in the present review. AAI were found to have positive influences on demented patients by reducing degree of agitation and by improving degree and quality of social interaction. Few studies have assessed the effects of AAI on mood, and even fewer have assessed its consequences on cognitive functions. The results that are available indicate a positive effect on communication and coping ability, but none on cognitive performance. A substitute pet robot yielded encouraging results, but its use requires further investigation. The few studies conducted for elderly patients presenting a variety of psychiatric diagnoses produced controversial findings. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the encouraging results of AAI, much more research examining the issue of optimal AAI duration, frequency of sessions, and suitable target group is needed.

Pet therapy: dogs de-stress students.

Research supports the efficacy of the human-animal bond and pet therapy in a variety of settings. At nursing students' request at one school, the author began offering pet therapy prior to examinations. Anecdotal evidence of a study with the author's Golden Retriever, Goldilocks, demonstrates that pet therapy can reduce test anxiety and improve nursing student performance.

[The psychiatric aspects of animal assisted therapy]. / Az állatok által asszisztált terápiák pszichiátriai vonatkozásai.

Animal assisted therapy is a known preventive and interventive method which is held by the contribution of specially trained animals and professionals. One of its main indication fields is psychiatry. The purpose of this summary is to give an overview on the animal assisted therapy's background, possible uses and effectiveness with literature. It looks for the answer if this therapeutic method can be used for effectively easing the symptoms of specific psychiatric diseases and on which fields can it be used most effectively. Due to the data provided by literature it can be determined that the therapy supported by animals is able to give an effective help on the fields of various psychiatric supports, preventions, interventions and rehabilitations regardless of the age. It is mostly used in the case of depression, anxiety, addiction, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Aside from these it could also be used effectively in the rehabilitation of victims of sexual abuse especially in the case of children. It can also play a role in the re-socialization of inadapted adolescences and adults, even with farmtherapy. Due to experiences the therapies supported by animals are effective on the following fields: improving social and communication skills, easing anxiety, improving mood, helping independent living, improving emphatic skills.