Youth who have experienced maltreatment (abuse, neglect, exposure to violence) typically exhibit worse life outcomes (lower graduation rates, higher incident of substance use, unplanned pregnancies, etc.). Effective therapeutic interventions are important to combat these negative effects. Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) is a popular and growing field. Anecdotal evidence abounds on the efficacy of AAI, however, there is a lack of quantitative and qualitative research and evidence-backed models of treatment particularly with youth. This study sought to increase the amount of quantitative evidence on AAI by specifically focusing on evaluating the Power Tools for Living Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) model with youth who have experienced maltreatment. This study analyzed secondary data collected from Special Spirit Inc., an equine therapy center. Three groups of youth placed in out-of-home care at residential treatment facilities in Los Angeles County participated in the Power Tools for Living EAP program. Prior to and after the intervention the youth’s guardian or clinician filled out a Youth Outcomes Questionnaire (YOQ). This data was analyzed but no statistical significant associations were yielded from the analysis. Analysis of the data does provide suggestions for further study that may potentially establish the Power Tools for Living EAP model as an effective intervention for youth who have experienced maltreatment, particularly younger participants and those with higher YOQ scores prior to treatment.

This study explores the historical context of human-animal relationships and examines the important ways that humans benefit from various types of interactions with domesticated animals. Therapeutic approaches that incorporate animals have been shown to have multiple benefits, including improved physical and mental health. Although this area of study is still largely overlooked in scientific fields of study, including social work, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has become increasingly prevalent in various mental health settings. Despite its popularity and anecdotal support, research on the benefits of AAT with children is minimal; there are no studies examining the ways in which this approach impacts children under the age of five. Thirteen preschool-aged children from a community-based early intervention program participated in a 16-week pilot study on AAT. The children were considered at-risk for potential behavioral, emotional and psychological challenges due to a constellation of factors, including developmental delays, poverty and early childhood trauma. This research includes case studies for each of the participants, with detailed information about the children as well as an account of their therapeutic experiences during the 16-week program. Thematic Analysis was used to analyze the data. Broad themes emerged in two main areas: demographic factors and intervention strategies. Each of these themes is explored in depth to highlight the most salient features of the cases and effective therapeutic processes. Findings indicate that the population studied shared various characteristics, including poverty, trauma history and complex family sessions. Preschool-aged children with risk factors do benefit from Animal Assisted Therapy in different ways based upon their histories and presenting behaviors. Children who present with internalizing behaviors, fear and disengagement, respond favorably to therapeutic cross-talking and physical touch; children with aggression and externalizing behaviors respond positively to clear limits, identifying feelings in the therapy dog and physical touch; and children who present more typically for the age and development, respond well to various forms of therapeutic interventions that incorporate the dog. Recommendations for therapeutic animal-based approaches are made based on the findings of this research.

This research addresses the use of canine animals in substance abuse treatment. There is research that addresses the importance of animals regarding therapy and mental illness, as well as research on the comorbidity of severe mental illness and substance abuse disorder. However, there is no research that looks at utilizing canines in substance abuse therapy. The purpose of this research was to examine the utilization of canine animals in rehab for those with substance abuse issues. The theoretical foundation for this study is the theory of contextualism. This theory focuses on humans with animals. To address the gap in research, this quasi-experimental quantitative study looked at two independent variables, presence or absence of a canine during treatment, and gender. The method of data collection was obtaining charts of 130 discharged clients, along with retrieval of data regarding days authorized by insurance for treatment. Information was obtained on the number of days that the client stayed in treatment. There was a comparison of the numbers that created a standardization for treatment. There was not significant difference in the average duration of substance abuse treatment when comparing people who attend treatment with their canine compared to those who do not attend treatment with a canine nor was there a difference between the genders. This research may create positive social change by providing an alternative to substance abuse disorder treatment. Not only will this create a positive environment for the client, but it will also provide them the ability to have comfort in a critical time in their lives. This research shows that canines provide something to mankind that we cannot always provide to one another.

This study aims to deconstruct current conceptions about animal-assisted interventions by investigating relationships between human beings and birds of prey. Interactions between birds of prey, or “raptors,” provide novel cases from which to reexamine failed attempts to provide empirical data in support of alternative therapies. Previous research addressing the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions is simply not robust enough to be considered a feasible treatment option by medical professionals. By extension, models of self-regulation in psychology are often presented using reductionist models and oversimplified therapeutic outcomes. Taken together, raptor-human relationships help to highlight the shortcomings of each, as well as potential solutions towards developing comprehensive frameworks for measuring efficacy of multispecies interactions. This study was conducted at a small nature park in Largo, FL where a number of native raptor species are housed, cared for, and trained each day by volunteers. These volunteers made up the sample size for this study with forty participants (n = 40) between the ages of eighteen and seventy five. Drawing on both my own experiences as a raptor handler, as well as the qualitative data collected from volunteers, I employed a neuroanthropological approach to reveal underlying dynamics of the program via a two-stage research plan. Stage 1 of the study addresses the Raptor Program itself in facilitating human-animal interactions. Stage 2 addresses the mechanisms at play during firsthand encounters with birds of prey. Findings suggest that programmatic and regulatory drivers within the program must operate together, often simultaneously, for an animal-assisted intervention organization to be successful. Further, this study calls for the ongoing development of novel methodological approaches in future research to determine the efficacy of animal-assisted interventions at large.

<p>The main purpose of this examination paper has been to do a review of recent scientific and evaluated studies performed on children 0-15 years of age, treated with an animal as an assistant to the therapist/professional. The key term is Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). Our focus has been to describe in what fields these kinds of studies have been performed, what the results are and how effective they have been. As a supplement to our study we have performed 8 short telephone interviews with professionals in the same field of occupation corresponding to the studies we have summarized. Our results concerning the studies show that there has been a positive outcome in the treatment of children and adolescents and AAT. This agegroup show an increase in for example; social skills, communication and maintaining focus. The results in our interviews show that there is poor knowledge in the research done in the area of AAT, that AAT is not used in these areas in Stockholm though the interest in the method seems large. As theoretical frameworks we have used the biophilia hypothesis and Winnicotts theory of the transition object.</p>

<p>Syftet med denna deskriptiva litteraturstudie var att beskriva vilken inverkan sällskapsdjur har på äldre personers hälsa och välbefinnande. Totalt 18 vetenskapliga artiklar inkluderades dessa återfanns i databaserna Cinahl, Science Direct och Academic Search Elite samt via andra artiklars referenslistor. Studierna som gjorts om djurens inverkan på äldre personer som bor i det egna hemmet genomfördes med enkäter och intervjuer. Resultatet visade att djurägarna var mindre missnöjda med sin sociala och emotionella situation än de som inte ägde djur. Hos hemmaboende personer med Alzheimers sjukdom visade det sig att interaktioner med sällskapsdjur minskade humör- och psykomotoriska störningar såsom aggression, hyperaktivitet, hallucinationer och känslor av oro. Även en påverkan på den fysiska hälsan hos djurägare återfanns då de fick mer motion än vad icke djurägare fick. Djurägarnas ADL förmåga bibehölls i större utsträckning över tid i jämförelse med de äldre som inte ägde något djur. De flesta studier som gjorts om sällskapsdjurens påverkan på äldre personer inom äldreomsorgen har varit av experimentell karaktär. Sällskapsdjuren hade flera effekter på de äldre; det sociala samspelet och de verbala interaktionerna ökade, känslan av depression och ensamhet minskade. En klar fysisk förbättring kunde påvisas i form av minskade muskelspänningar och trötthet, ökat nutritionsintag och lägre blodtryck. Bland äldre dementa personer påvisades en markant minskning av oro och aggressivitet då de deltog i djurterapi.</p> / <p>The aim of this descriptive literature review was to describe the impact of pets on the health and well being of elderly persons. A total of 18 studies were included which were found in Cinahl, Science Direct and Academic Search Elite and from other article references. Questionnaires and interviews were used to asses the impact of pets on elderly persons living at home. The result showed that pet owners were more satisfied with the social and emotional situation compared to non-pet owners. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease living at home and interacted with pets showed a lesser degree of aggression, hyperactivity, hallucinations and anxiety than non-pet owners. Pets also had an influence on the physical health of the pet owners. They took longer walks more frequently than non-pet owners. Pet owners preserved their ADL to a greater extent compared to non-pet owners. Most studies exploring the impact of pets on elderly living in nursing homes were experimental. Pets had several effects on the elderly; the social connection and the verbal interactions increased, depression and loneliness decreased. Pets also affected the physical condition of the elderly; they had less muscle tensions and fatigue, higher nutritional intake and lower blood pressure. Among the elderly with dementia the anxiety and aggression decreased when they participated in animal assisted therapy.</p>

Syftet med denna deskriptiva litteraturstudie var att beskriva vilken inverkan sällskapsdjur har på äldre personers hälsa och välbefinnande. Totalt 18 vetenskapliga artiklar inkluderades dessa återfanns i databaserna Cinahl, Science Direct och Academic Search Elite samt via andra artiklars referenslistor. Studierna som gjorts om djurens inverkan på äldre personer som bor i det egna hemmet genomfördes med enkäter och intervjuer. Resultatet visade att djurägarna var mindre missnöjda med sin sociala och emotionella situation än de som inte ägde djur. Hos hemmaboende personer med Alzheimers sjukdom visade det sig att interaktioner med sällskapsdjur minskade humör- och psykomotoriska störningar såsom aggression, hyperaktivitet, hallucinationer och känslor av oro. Även en påverkan på den fysiska hälsan hos djurägare återfanns då de fick mer motion än vad icke djurägare fick. Djurägarnas ADL förmåga bibehölls i större utsträckning över tid i jämförelse med de äldre som inte ägde något djur. De flesta studier som gjorts om sällskapsdjurens påverkan på äldre personer inom äldreomsorgen har varit av experimentell karaktär. Sällskapsdjuren hade flera effekter på de äldre; det sociala samspelet och de verbala interaktionerna ökade, känslan av depression och ensamhet minskade. En klar fysisk förbättring kunde påvisas i form av minskade muskelspänningar och trötthet, ökat nutritionsintag och lägre blodtryck. Bland äldre dementa personer påvisades en markant minskning av oro och aggressivitet då de deltog i djurterapi. / The aim of this descriptive literature review was to describe the impact of pets on the health and well being of elderly persons. A total of 18 studies were included which were found in Cinahl, Science Direct and Academic Search Elite and from other article references. Questionnaires and interviews were used to asses the impact of pets on elderly persons living at home. The result showed that pet owners were more satisfied with the social and emotional situation compared to non-pet owners. Persons with Alzheimer’s disease living at home and interacted with pets showed a lesser degree of aggression, hyperactivity, hallucinations and anxiety than non-pet owners. Pets also had an influence on the physical health of the pet owners. They took longer walks more frequently than non-pet owners. Pet owners preserved their ADL to a greater extent compared to non-pet owners. Most studies exploring the impact of pets on elderly living in nursing homes were experimental. Pets had several effects on the elderly; the social connection and the verbal interactions increased, depression and loneliness decreased. Pets also affected the physical condition of the elderly; they had less muscle tensions and fatigue, higher nutritional intake and lower blood pressure. Among the elderly with dementia the anxiety and aggression decreased when they participated in animal assisted therapy.

The main purpose of this examination paper has been to do a review of recent scientific and evaluated studies performed on children 0-15 years of age, treated with an animal as an assistant to the therapist/professional. The key term is Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). Our focus has been to describe in what fields these kinds of studies have been performed, what the results are and how effective they have been. As a supplement to our study we have performed 8 short telephone interviews with professionals in the same field of occupation corresponding to the studies we have summarized. Our results concerning the studies show that there has been a positive outcome in the treatment of children and adolescents and AAT. This agegroup show an increase in for example; social skills, communication and maintaining focus. The results in our interviews show that there is poor knowledge in the research done in the area of AAT, that AAT is not used in these areas in Stockholm though the interest in the method seems large. As theoretical frameworks we have used the biophilia hypothesis and Winnicotts theory of the transition object.

Hippoterapi är en sjukgymnastisk behandlingsform där man använder hästen som ett hjälpmedel i behandlingen. Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie är att undersöka upplevelserna av hippoterapi som behandling för funktionshindrade barn i Indien. Studien grundas på intervjuer av fyra barn och tre lärare. Intervjuerna genomfördes med tolk på tamil och engelska. Barnen intervjuades med fokus på deras egna upplevelser av hippoterapin och lärarintervjuerna fokuserade på huruvida de upplevt några förändringar hos barnen sedan de började med hippoterapi. Två intervjuguider med öppna frågor användes vid intervjuerna som spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades med hjälp av innehållsanalys. Resultatet visar att barnen hade en positiv upplevelse av hippoterapin och belyste flera fysiska förbättringar. Lärarna upplevde förbättringar gällande barnens motoriska förmåga, språkliga utveckling och inlärningsförmåga. Konklusionen, baserad på överenstämmelser mellan barnens och lärarnas upplevelser, är att hippoterapi är en positiv behandlingsform för dessa barn med avseende på såväl fysiska som psykiska aspekter. / Hippotherapy is a form of physiotherapy where the horse is used as a part of the treatment. The aim with this qualitative study is to investigate Indian disabled children's experiences of hippotherapy. The study is based on interviews with four children and three teachers. The interviews were conducted with an interpreter in English and Tamil. The children’s interviews were focused on their personal experiences, and the teachers’ interviews focused on their observations of the children. Two guides based on open questions were formed for the interviews witch were recorded, transcribed and analyzed. The results show that the children were positive regarding the hippotherapy and had experienced physical improvement. The teachers experienced that the children had improved regarding motor skills, speech and learning ability. The conclusion based on agreement between children and teachers, is that hippotherapy is a positive form of therapy for these children in both physical and psychological aspects.

Arbetsterapi ämnar möjliggöra utförande av meningsfulla aktiviteter för klienter. Djur ger positiva effekter på människans fysiska, mentala och sociala funktioner som kan öka dennes aktivitetsförmåga, vilket är en förutsättning för aktivitetsutförande. Syftet var att kartlägga forskning kring djur i relation till arbetsterapi samt betydelsen djuren har på individens aktivitetsliv. Metoden var en systematisk litteratursökning som gjordes med 14 valda sökord i sju databaser som slutligen gav 15 artiklar för analys. I resultatet identifierades forskningsområdena djurägarskap och djurterapi. Hund var vanligaste djuret för ägarskap och terapi, följt av katt och häst. Personer som utförde aktiviteter med djur hade olika typer av diagnoser och utförde dessa inom samtliga aktivitetsområden. Den vanligaste funktionsnedsättningen för djurägare var fysisk och för djurterapiklienter psykisk. Aktiviteterna utfördes främst i hem- och samhällsmiljöer. Författarna konkluderade att möjligheter för implementering av arbetsterapi med djur i Sverige finns men att det kan finnas faktorer som försvårar processen. En lösning för implementering skulle vara att arbetsterapeuten arbetar med djur/husdjur i klientens hem- och samhällsmiljö. / Occupational Therapy aims at assisting clients in the performance of occupations. Animals have a positive effect on humans’ physical, mental and social functions that can increase the individuals’ occupational ability, which is a prerequisite for occupational performance. The aim was to describe research regarding the relation between animals and occupational therapy and the impact the animals have on individuals’ occupational lives. The method was a systematic literature search, conducted with 14 selected words in seven databases, and this resulted in 15 articles for analysis. In the result, animal ownership and animal-assisted therapy were identified as areas of research. Dogs were the most common animals for ownership and therapy, followed by cats and horses. Persons who performed occupations with animals had a variety of diagnosis and performed them in all occupational areas. The most common disability for animal owners were physical and for therapy clients psychiatric. Occupations were conducted primarily in home and community environments. The authors concluded that there is a possibility of implementing occupational therapy with animals in Sweden, but there may be factors that can complicate the process. A solution for implementation would be that the occupational therapist works with animals/pets in the clients’ home and community environment.