Animal assisted intervention: A systematic review of benefits and risks PMC

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) helps people with PTSD identify and resolve the unhelpful trauma-driven beliefs that shape how they see the world. Learn more about ACT, a mindfulness-based behavioral therapy that helps you accept what can’t be changed and commit to action where change is possible. Animal therapy partially uses this bond in a directed way to achieve the goals of the therapy. Anyone who dislikes or fears animals or is allergic to them, is not a likely candidate for this particular intervention.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and emotional support animals

Any counselor who wants to grow their knowledge and ultimately incorporate AAT into their practice will find this book valuable. Although there is potentially a therapeutic benefit to interactions with any species, only dogs compare to horses in their close and symbiotic relationship with humans. Self psychologists look at the work of the therapy animal slightly differently, stating that the therapy animal functions as a self-object, which helps the human client integrate different aspects of the self (Brown, 2004).

1. It is often used for mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder, but can also be used for physical conditions and the emotional component of physical disease.
2. The Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a health intervention, meant to improve physical, social, emotional or cognitive functioning, with animals as integral part of the treatment [1].
3. In particular, Sehulster et al. reported the CDC guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities, including a section regarding the safety of AAA and resident animals programs in healthcare settings.

Types of Animals Used

Animal therapy, also called pet therapy or animal-assisted therapy, is any type of therapy that integrates dogs, horses, and other animals. The size and location of the facility as well as the what happens when you drink alcohol on accutane patient population are important factors to consider. Animals that participate in Visitation or AAT programs are placed in very stressful situations each time they work with patients. It is essential for the safety of the patients that the animals instinctively react in a safe, predictable way regardless of the setting. “We go into various healthcare settings from hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, shelters, even the airport,” Morrison says of her visiting therapy dog.

It helps us feel good and allows us to feel emotionally secure, content, and happy. Oxytocin also increases in humans when we spend time with animals; we naturally feel better when they are around (Compitus, 2021a). Emotional support animals can be a source of comfort, but a well-rounded treatment plan is needed to address mental health issues. The Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a health intervention, meant to improve physical, social, emotional or cognitive functioning, with animals as integral part of stopping duloxetine cold turkey the treatment [1]. The therapeutic use of animals was argued for decades and many associations employ this intervention in order to improve care.

Indeed, some interventions took place in the hospital garden [19] or in activity rooms specifically equipped [11], while others occurred directly in the ward [33], [34], or at bedside [25], [27]. Also considering the interventions’ characteristics, the results appeared variegated. In as much, the length of the sessions ranged from 5 to 10 minutes [32], [35] to different hours [24]. Moreover, some programs required multiple sessions [6], [8], [11], [21], while others included only a single session [13], [34].

2. Childrens’ hospitals

In controlled clinical conditions, she discovered that the presence of the dogs enhanced the children’s alertness and openness to social contact and helped the children become more psychologically well-balanced. She further found that the therapeutic effect was most significant in children who had felt the worst before having contact with the dogs. The AAA, as described above, is slightly structured and it includes, primarily, pet-visitation. These kind of activities are in general spontaneous, grouping several patients, and poorly standardized with regard to duration and type of activities. On the contrary, the AAT sessions are strictly organized considering both the activity type and the duration. Indeed, each AAT session presents individualized goals and is conducted by specifically trained couples (handler and animal) [3].

Some people may not enjoy animal therapy or have other reasons to avoid it, and they can choose from alternative therapies. People unique sobriety gifts who do not respond well to animal therapy or are not interested in trying it may ask about other options. They may not choose this type of therapy as it would cause them more stress.

This review focused on the use of animal programs for hospitalized patients, and considered the potential risks. Animal-assisted psychotherapy (AAP) is a mental health specialty in which appropriately credentialed mental health providers, working within their professional scope of practice, leverage the human-animal bond to treat their clients. A review study notes that animal therapy appears to provide general benefits for both physical and psychological health. Evidence for animal assisted therapy appears strongest for markers of anxiety and depression in the widest range of people. It’s important to note that emotional support animals can’t cure mental illness. ESAs are typically used alongside therapy practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Training in Animal Therapy: How to Develop Your Career

These science-based exercises explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology, including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can be a highly effective treatment for severe depression and other medication-resistant mental health disorders. Airlines are no longer required to allow emotional support animals on flights. Besides, the effects of AAI were assessed focusing on physiological parameters. The most assessed were blood pressure [6], [27], outlining a significant effect in decreasing this parameter, heart rate [13], [28], [35] and respiratory rate [13], [35]. Indeed, Cole et al. did not identify any significant change in this parameter [13].

Animals can provide a sense of calm, comfort, or safety and divert attention away from a stressful situation and toward one that provides pleasure. Animals can help combat loneliness and boost social support, both through interactions with the animal and interactions that involve other people. Animals can lead people to get more physical activity than they would otherwise. If the animal is not well cared for, this will reflect badly in the therapy sessions and raise the potential for the human or the animal to be harmed. Although not required by law, it is strongly suggested that therapists become registered with a certifying therapy animal agency.

Unfortunately, there is no uniformity on naming these interventions and AAT, AAA and other names are used, often, in a confusing way. Despite the wide range of outcomes considered, the studies retrieved outlined general benefits of AAT or AAA in terms of psychological and physical effects. The favorable effect of AAT upon anxiety symptoms on children was confirmed by parents and staff [8]. In conclusion, the favorable impact on inpatient anxiety seemed assessed for a wide range of age and conditions. Animal therapy, also called pet therapy or animal assisted therapy, refers to various services using animals to help people with specific physical or mental health conditions.

AAT builds on relationships and strengthens the therapeutic alliance, which allows the client to create a reparative relationship (VanFleet & Faa-Thompson, 2017). There are several medical and psychological benefits to interacting with animals, regardless of whether it is our own pet or another animal (Compitus, 2019). Psychedelics like LSD, ecstasy, and even magic mushrooms have been shown to offer some mental health benefits. Mindfulness-based stress reduction teaches mindfulness meditation to help people live in the moment and manage stress. Group therapy is a form of counseling where a small group of people meet regularly to discuss and work on shared issues alongside a therapist. Exposure therapy helps people overcome their fears by gradually and repeatedly facing them in a controlled way.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy used for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Art therapy is a type of therapy where people use art-making to help them understand and express their feelings. This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors. Three investigators (EC, GP and GV) independently conducted a first literature search, sorting sources by title and abstract.

Those who are already certified may further qualify as an animal-assisted crisis response team. It goes into detail concerning the psychology behind the human–animal bond by highlighting different topics such as animal ethics regarding world views and cultural dynamics. It is a useful resource, especially for therapists who are considering including AAT in their practice, as it highlights the many benefits of AAT.