Background: Animals have been shown to have a positive effect on people. The nursing science approach says that a person can experience well-being despite illness. The positive attributes of animals can be used in health care to help ill people experience well-being. An animal-assisted intervention can be a form of activity or therapy involving pets (AAA / AAT) or horses (EAT). Aim: The purpose of this study was to elucidate how animals in health care promote well-being for people with long-term illness. Methods: Literature review based on fourteen original scientific articles, with both qualitative and quantitative approach. Results: The compilation of the results led to four main categories with two subcategories respectively. These were: Physical aspects with subcategories Physical well-being and Bodily functions; Psychic aspects with subcategories Psychic well-being and Reduced psychiatric symptoms; Existential aspects with subcategories Quality of Life and Safety; Social Aspects with subcategories Social behavior and Relationships. Discussions: Review and discussion of the selected method. Discussion of the results with the selected theoretical framework: Antonovsky's theory of Sense of Coherence (SOC) and the salutogenic approach. The results were discussed based on the concepts of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness.

Ridterapi har på senare tid börjat användas som en komplettarande behandlingsmetod för psykosocial problematik. I dagsläget finns ännu inte mycket forskning inom ämnet och behandlingsmetoden är vare sig speciellt känd eller etablerad. I denna uppsats görs en kartläggning av socialsekreterares uppfattning och kännedom om ridterapi. Undersökningen var i form av en enkät och genomfördes i Uppsala län där socialsekreterare som arbetar med placeringar på HVB-hem medverkade. Vi ville se om olika faktorer som exempelvis ett eget djurintresse, kunskap om behandlingsmetoden, kön och ålder kunde påverka deras inställning till ridterapi. Resultatet av undersökningen visade att våra respondenters generella attityd till behandligsmetoden var positiv och att de i hög grad kunde tänka sig att göra sådana placeringar och de olika faktorerna vi jämfört med i undersökningen påverkade inte resultatet nämnvärt. Dock visade det sig att det var många som inte kände till vad ridterapi var. / Recently it has been more common to use Equine assisted therapy (EAT) as a complementary treatment for psychosocial issues. Today, not much research has been done in this area and therapy method is neither known nor established. In this essay a survey has been done in the purpose to get a grip of social workers attitude toward and knowledge about EAT. The survey was performed in Uppsala County and social workers who put clients in care or residence homes (HVB) were queried. We wanted to investigate how different factors such as an interest in animals, knowledge about the therapy method, gender or age could affect the respondents attitude toward EAT. The result from our investigation has shown that our respondents had an overall positive attitude toward EAT and that they to a high degree would make such a placement. The different factors that we compared with did not affect the result in a high degree. However, our results also showed that the majority of our respondents did not know about EAT or what it can be used for.

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att undersöka hur behandlare inom olika professioner använt sig av hästunderstödd terapi, som en del av en terapeutisk behandling. Detta för att se om behandlarna kunde märka en förändring hos deltagaren. Examensarbetet baserades på kvalitativ metod där fyra telefonintervjuer genomförts med personer som arbetar med hästar i terapeutisk behandling. Resultaten visade att behandlarna upplevde att hästarna kunde hjälpa till med samspelet mellan behandlare och deltagare. Det framkom att behandlarna upplevde att det skedde genom ett icke-verbalt deltagande från hästen i samspel med behandlaren och den som deltog. Deltagarna fick en möjlighet att skapa mening med hjälp av vardagliga rutiner och strukturer. Del kunde känna tillit till andra, samt började våga skapa relationer med andra människor vilket gav en känsla av förhållande till samhället. Samtliga behandlare menade att det var svårt att avgöra vad som hade skapat en förändring. Gemensamt var behandlarnas upplevelse av en positiv förändring hos flertalet av deltagarna. / This bachelor thesis analyses the use of horse-assisted therapy amongst mental health practitioners within multiple sectors. The aim was to establish whether a change could be detected in participants. Adopting a qualitative approach the research was mainly conducted through four semi-structured interviews with equine-assisted therapy practitioners. The results show that the practitioners believe the horses improve the interactions between the practitioners and participants. The practitioners believe this improvement is due to the non-verbal participation of the horse in interface with the practitioner and participant and that the horses increase the participants’ trust in others as well as their confidence when establishing relationships with others. The participants gained an opportunity to create meaning within their lives through everyday routines, structures and feel a sense of context. Some of the practitioners struggled to identify what causes the change but recognised a positive change in the majority of participants.

Introduktion: Hästunderstödd terapi är en behandlingsform där man ägnar sig åt ridning och andra aktiviteter med hästen för att främja fysisk och psykisk hälsa. Hästen har en central roll och bidrar till en icke-dömande och trygg plats för patienterna. Vidare har stallet och naturen positiva effekter inom behandlingen. Syfte: Belysa synen på hästunderstödd terapi hos fysioterapeuter som arbetar eller har arbetat med hästunderstödd terapi som behandlingsmetod. Metod: Fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer med legitimerade fysioterapeuter/sjukgymnaster, med erfarenhet av hästunderstödd terapi, genomfördes via telefon. Intervjuerna analyserades sedan med kvalitativ innehållsanalys utifrån en induktiv ansats. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i temat “Hästen ger möjlighet till en unik och omfattande behandling”, som beskriver bredden av behandlingen, hur kroppen och psyket påverkas samt vilken roll hästen, stallet och naturen har inom behandlingen. De fem kategorierna som identifierades var Mångsidig behandling som möter olika behov, Stallet och naturen blir ett annorlunda behandlingsrum, Hästen som stöttande behandlare, Personlighet och kropp tar stora steg framåt samt Ökad dialog och delaktighet genom hästen. Kategorierna inkluderar delar av behandlingsmetoden, vilka patientgrupper man kan komma i kontakt med, vilken roll hästen har samt effekterna av behandlingen. Konklusion: Hästunderstödd terapi lyftes fram som en bred behandlingsform av fysioterapeuterna. De upplevde behandlingen som speciell i förhållande till annan behandling genom dess möjlighet att påverka flera delar samtidigt, både för kroppen och psyket. Fler studier bör genomföras med större undersökningsgrupper; både fler fysioterapeuter, men även patienters erfarenheter bör lyftas fram.

Equine Assisted Therapy is, from a social work perspective, a relatively unexplored arrangement of therapy in which the horse is part of the treatment. This study illustrates the equine therapist’ experiences of Equine Assisted Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (EA-CBT) and Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) up against people suffering from mental health issues. The research questions are: How do we use horses as a part of the treatment up against people with mental health issues? What components can be identified as a central part of the treatment in Equine Assisted Therapy? The empirical material was collected by using hermeneutic approach and qualitative semi-structured interviews with three practicing equine therapists. The main result showed that horses are used as therapeutical co-workers, as well as a metaphor for the individuals’ emotions. The horses take a significant part of the patients’ sense of coherence (KASAM) as well as the patients’ mentalization, especially through emotional understanding and communication. Furthermore, the result indicate that the horse is as an important link in the encounter between therapist and patient. The analysis was based on an analytic method, in which the empirical material is the starting point of coding and creating themes. The central conclusions were that the horse play a significant role in the promotion of the humans’ ameliorative mental health. It does not only play role for the mental health issues, but also for the patients’ conduction after the treatment.

Background: Evidence-based complementary treatment options for multiple sclerosis (MS) are limited. Objective: To investigate the effect of hippotherapy plus standard care versus standard care alone in MS patients. Methods: A total of 70 adults with MS were recruited in five German centers and randomly allocated to the intervention group (12 weeks of hippotherapy) or the control group. Primary outcome was the change in the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) after 12 weeks, and further outcome measures included fatigue, pain, quality of life, and spasticity. Results: Covariance analysis of the primary endpoint resulted in a mean difference in BBS change of 2.33 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03–4.63, p = 0.047) between intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 38) groups. Benefit on BBS was largest for the subgroup with an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ⩾ 5 (5.1, p = 0.001). Fatigue (−6.8, p = 0.02) and spasticity (−0.9, p = 0.03) improved in the intervention group. The mean difference in change between groups was 12.0 (p < 0.001) in physical health score and 14.4 (p < 0.001) in mental health score of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQoL-54). Conclusion: Hippotherapy plus standard care, while below the threshold of a minimal clinically important difference, significantly improved balance and also fatigue, spasticity, and quality of life in MS patients.

This pilot study examined the effect of participation in an equine-assisted activities (EAA) program on the social functioning of participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pre- and post-assessments via the Naples Equestrian Challenge Participant Initial Evaluation were completed by a trained Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor prior to and at the conclusion of a 12 week EAA program. 12 individuals (75% male; M age = 10.8; age range 5 – 20 years) participated. Paired-sample t-tests were conducted to examine the impact of EAA on social functioning. Analyses revealed that involvement in the EAA program resulted in a significant improvement in social functioning, but when grouped by age (5 – 10 years old, 10 – 20 years old) the effects were not significant. Lastly, individual analyses indicated that 75% of the sample had improved social functioning scores after participation in the EAA program. Results support EAA as an effective therapy for persons with ASD.

South African adolescents are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviours, because they are exposed to high-risk environments that have a negative impact on them. The choices that adolescents make during this explorative life stage will influence and determine certain outcomes of their adult lives. Therefore, it is crucial to improve adolescents’ psychological well-being, as they are the future generation adults. Adolescents with behaviour problems form a unique population who do not respond effectively to traditional therapy, and researchers are continuously searching for more effective ways to reach this population. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an intervention that has been proven to be effective with this population and to provide better outcomes than traditional psychotherapy. Although the value and positive effects of EAT has been proven, there is a gap in the literature concerning research on this topic, especially with regard to research conducted by means of quantitative methods. The overarching goal of this study was to evaluate and refine an EAT programme aimed at improving the psychological well-being of boys in a school of industry. This goal was attained by utilising a quantitative, experimental research design. The Solomon four-group design was applied, because it effectively controls pre-test sensitisation and provides the best control against threats to internal validity. The sample was selected from a school of industry near Bloemfontein, which provides residence to a group of adolescent boys who display behaviour problems. The 40 boys (N = 40) included in the sample were divided into two experimental groups of 10 boys each and two control groups of 10 boys each. During the course of the study, one of the boys withdrew and the sample was reduced to 39 boys. The programme was administered to the boys in the experimental groups. Before the programme commenced, one of the experimental groups and one of the control groups completed the pre-test. The psychometric instruments used were a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced Questionnaire. The boys then completed the EAT programme which consisted of eight sessions, each with its own outcomes and designed to improve subjective well-being and coping. After completion of the programme, all four groups completed the post-test consisting of the same psychometric instruments as the pre-test. The results showed that the programme significantly improved the boys’ subjective well-being. The boys’ problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and dysfunctional coping were also increased significantly. These improvements can be attributed directly to the programme, because pre-test sensitisation was controlled. The study found that the EAT programme had a significant positive effect on the boys’ subjective well-being and coping. The conclusion can be drawn that the programme significantly improved the boys’ psychological well-being. The programme was evaluated and refined, and recommendations were made for its future use. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Therapeutic horseback riding is one of the most popular and the most used form of animal based therapy. The term "therapeutic horseback riding" itself is very broad and it consists of four basic branches. The most used, yet least described, is the branch that has been called "pedagogical-psychological horseback riding therapy" since 2011. This branch is further divided into two sub-branches, Equine assisted psychotherapy and Horse-based activities. These two sub-branches overlap each other and are usually conducted together. With school-age children they are mostly used in cases of behavioral disorders and ADHD. The goal of the thesis is to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods with children diagnosed as such. The research was realized in "Stredisko hyporehabilitace Pirueta" which operates within the Mental Hospital in Havlickuv Brod. The method of the research was observation of five subjects within the one complete therapy unit. At the beginning and at the end of the unit the tutors of the subjects were given observational scale, which served as supplementary technique for diagnostics. Data obtained from own observation and the data gained from observational scaled matched each other approximately in 90%. During the therapy unit all the subjects improved in areas of self-confidence, self-...

South African adolescents are more likely to participate in high-risk behaviours, because they are exposed to high-risk environments that have a negative impact on them. The choices that adolescents make during this explorative life stage will influence and determine certain outcomes of their adult lives. Therefore, it is crucial to improve adolescents’ psychological well-being, as they are the future generation adults. Adolescents with behaviour problems form a unique population who do not respond effectively to traditional therapy, and researchers are continuously searching for more effective ways to reach this population. Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an intervention that has been proven to be effective with this population and to provide better outcomes than traditional psychotherapy. Although the value and positive effects of EAT has been proven, there is a gap in the literature concerning research on this topic, especially with regard to research conducted by means of quantitative methods. The overarching goal of this study was to evaluate and refine an EAT programme aimed at improving the psychological well-being of boys in a school of industry. This goal was attained by utilising a quantitative, experimental research design. The Solomon four-group design was applied, because it effectively controls pre-test sensitisation and provides the best control against threats to internal validity. The sample was selected from a school of industry near Bloemfontein, which provides residence to a group of adolescent boys who display behaviour problems. The 40 boys (N = 40) included in the sample were divided into two experimental groups of 10 boys each and two control groups of 10 boys each. During the course of the study, one of the boys withdrew and the sample was reduced to 39 boys. The programme was administered to the boys in the experimental groups. Before the programme commenced, one of the experimental groups and one of the control groups completed the pre-test. The psychometric instruments used were a biographical questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced Questionnaire. The boys then completed the EAT programme which consisted of eight sessions, each with its own outcomes and designed to improve subjective well-being and coping. After completion of the programme, all four groups completed the post-test consisting of the same psychometric instruments as the pre-test. The results showed that the programme significantly improved the boys’ subjective well-being. The boys’ problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping and dysfunctional coping were also increased significantly. These improvements can be attributed directly to the programme, because pre-test sensitisation was controlled. The study found that the EAT programme had a significant positive effect on the boys’ subjective well-being and coping. The conclusion can be drawn that the programme significantly improved the boys’ psychological well-being. The programme was evaluated and refined, and recommendations were made for its future use. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014