Mental health practitioners who incorporate animal-assisted interventions into clinical practice harness the human-animal bond for therapeutic benefit. According to the Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling Competencies, practitioners have a duty to understand the complex relational processes within animal-assisted interventions in counseling (AAI-C). These bonding processes may resemble that of an attachment bond in which the client desires to maintain closeness to the practitioner and therapy animal as a result of feeling safe and secure. Researchers studying attachment in the human-animal bond have stated that attachment processes may occur within other human-animal relationships, such as between a guardian and a companion animal. However, there is no empirical research on the attachment processes occurring between humans and therapy animals in AAI-C or how these processes affect the bond between the practitioner and client. A component of the working alliance, maintaining a quality bond can improve treatment outcomes in counseling. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how attachment to a therapy animal impacts the attachment bond between a mental health practitioner and client. Participants completed an online survey with four measures to study the following: (a) client attachment to the therapy animal, (b) practitioner attachment to the therapy animal, (c) the bond between the practitioner and client, and (d) the impact of utilizing an animal in counseling sessions. Data analyses included a multiple regression to determine how practitioners' perceptions of the attachment processes within AAI-C best explain the bond with their clients. Descriptive analysis revealed that practitioners perceived high quality bonding within AAI-C, particularly in their own attachment to the therapy animal. Results of the multiple regression indicated practitioners' attachment to the therapy animal was a significant predictor of the working alliance and bond between the practitioner and client. Practitioners who perceived themselves as extremely skilled in working with the clients' presenting issue also had a statistically significant effect on the working alliance and bond when compared to practitioners who felt less skilled. Implications for practitioners and counselor educators are provided. Limitations and areas of future research are also discussed. / Doctor of Philosophy / Mental health practitioners who incorporate animal-assisted interventions into clinical practice harness the human-animal bond for therapeutic benefit. According to the Animal-Assisted Therapy in Counseling Competencies, practitioners have a duty to understand the complex relational processes within animal-assisted interventions in counseling (AAI-C). These bonding processes may resemble that of an attachment bond in which the client desires to maintain closeness to the practitioner and therapy animal as a result of feeling safe and secure. Researchers studying attachment in the human-animal bond have stated that attachment processes may occur within other human-animal relationships, such as between a guardian and a companion animal. However, there is no practical research on the attachment processes occurring between humans and therapy animals in AAI-C or how these processes affect the bond between the practitioner and client. A component of the working alliance, maintaining a quality bond, can improve treatment outcomes in counseling. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how attachment to a therapy animal impacts the attachment bond between a mental health practitioner and client. Participants completed an online survey with four measures to study the following: (a) client attachment to the therapy animal, (b) practitioner attachment to the therapy animal, (c) the bond between the practitioner and client, and (d) the impact of utilizing an animal in counseling sessions. Data analyses included a multiple regression to determine how practitioners’ perceptions of the attachment processes within AAI-C best explain the bond with their clients. Descriptive statistics revealed that practitioners perceived high quality bonding within AAI-C, particularly in their own attachment to the therapy animal. Results of the multiple regression indicated practitioners’ attachment to the therapy animal influenced the working alliance and bond between the practitioner and client. Practitioners who perceived themselves as extremely skilled in working with the clients’ presenting issue also had an effect on the working alliance and bond when compared to practitioners who felt less skilled. Implications for practitioners and counselor educators are provided. Limitations and areas of future research are also discussed.

This thesis was conducted in order to explore the views and perception of social workers from Gävleborg on animal-assisted interventions. This study examines the attitudes of social workers towards the phenomenon of animal-assisted interventions and the importance of the animal-human bond. During the investigation process semi-structured e-mail interviews and one face-to-face interview were used as a method to collect empirical data. The results showed that social workers have a positive attitude towards animal-assisted interventions, as well as whether social workers have any knowledge regarding animal-assisted interventions. The final conclusion of this thesis presents the social workers’ desire to gain more knowledge and training on animal-assisted interventions within the social work practice in Gävleborg.

Bakgrund: Forskning visar att människor i stor utsträckning påverkas positivt av interaktion med djur. Då hälsa är ett mångdimensionellt begrepp är det viktigt för psykiatrisjuksköterskan att ha kunskap om omvårdande insatser som främjar upplevelsen av välbefinnande och skapar mening i tillvaron. Djurens betydelse vid behandling av psykisk ohälsa är således viktig att belysa. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka hur personer med psykisk ohälsa beskriver att interaktion med djur kan påverka deras psykiska hälsa. Metod: En litteraturöversikt med systematiskt tillvägagångssätt valdes som metod. Litteratursökningen genomfördes i tre olika databaser och 11 vetenskapliga originalartiklar inkluderades i resultatet. Resultatartiklarna analyserades med en tematisk innehållsanalys. Resultat: Deltagarnas erfarenheter av interaktion med djur beskrevs genom tre huvudteman. Dessa var; En meningsfull relation, Att få må bra och En förändringsprocess. Sju underteman framkom, dessa var; En källa till värme, kärlek och stöd, Accepterad som den man är, Förtroende och ansvar, En upplevelse av glädje och välmående, Att kunna hantera symtom vid psykisk ohälsa, Utveckling av identitet och självkännedom och Ökad förmåga och funktion i vardagen. Slutsats: Interaktion med djur kan ha flera hälsofrämjande effekter för personer med psykisk ohälsa, såsom att minska självstigma, lindra symtom, bidra till personlig utveckling och upplevelse av välmående. En ökad integrering av djurunderstödd behandling skulle därför kunna vara värdefullt inom psykiatrisk vård. / Background: Research shows that people are essentially positively affected by interactions with animals. As health is a multidimensional concept, it is important for the psychiatric nurse to have knowledge of nursing interventions that promote the experience of well-being and create meaning in life. Thus, it is important to shed light on the value of animals in mental health treatment. Aim: The aim was to investigate how people with mental illness described their mental health being affected by interactions with animals. Method: A literature review with a systematic approach was chosen as method. The literature search was performed in three databases and 11 original scientific articles were included. The result articles were analysed with a thematic content analysis. Results: The participants' experiences of interaction with animals were described through three main themes. These were: A meaningful relationship, To feel good and A process of change. Seven sub-themes emerged, these were: A source of warmth, love and support, Accepted as you are, Trust and responsibility, An experience of joy and well-being, Being able to manage symptoms of mental illness, Development of identity and self-awareness and Increased ability and function in everyday life. Conclusion: Interaction with animals has several health-promoting effects for people with mental illness, such as reducing self-stigma, reducing symptoms, contributing to personal development, and experiencing well-being. Increased integration of animal-assisted treatment could therefore be valuable in psychiatric care.

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.

Animal‑Assisted Intervention (AAI) is used to significantly reduce pain, lower blood pressure, decrease anxiety, and help ease depression in people with a range of health problems; however, it is not readily used in the hospital setting. Research involving the Human‑Animal Bond (HAB) is well established, yet most social workers receive no special training or coursework about this topic as it applies to working with patients or consumers. This study sought to understand the beliefs about AAI among medical social workers in healthcare settings in order to gauge what knowledge and degree of exposure they may have had to AAI. Eighteen randomly selected social workers, holding MSW, ASW, LMSW or LCSW credentials, employed from 6 months to 26 years in hospital or cancer clinic settings across the United States were interviewed by phone, recorded, and their comments transcribed. Nine specific themes were identified. Fifteen of the 18 medical social workers had no formal training, workshop or class discussion during undergraduate or graduate school training. No one had any on the job training, unless they purposefully sought it out, as three did. All participants agreed that they would like to know more about AAI to incorporate into their workplace in order to better inform patients, doctors, nurses and staff about the benefits of animals as a natural healing modality.

Bakgrund: Användning av djur i vården har visat sig ge många positiva effekter på människan. Oavsett människors ålder och tillstånd kan djur bidra med att förbättra psykiska, fysiska och sociala funktioner. Bra bemötande, personcentrerat förhållningssätt och goda mellanmänskliga relationer krävs för att kunna ge god omsorg. Närhet och tillhörighet är en del av de grundläggande mänskliga behoven. Livskvalitet handlar om hur individen värderar sitt psykiska, fysiska och sociala välbefinnande och att förbättra livskvalitet kan ofta ses som målet med omvårdnaden. Syfte: Att beskriva hur djurassisterade interventioner påverkar hälsorelaterad livskvalitet hos vårdtagare. Metod: Deduktiv litteraturöversikt genomfördes med nio kvantitativa artiklar. I dataanalysen användes Fribergs trestegsmodell. Resultat: Det framkom sex domäner som ingick i hälsorelaterad livskvalitet: fysiskt, socialt, mentalt, emotionellt, aktivitet och funktion samt tillfredsställelse. Utöver domänerna framkom generell livskvalitet. Inget enhetligt resultat kunde påvisas inom de olika domänerna, dock sågs signifikant förbättring i den generella livskvaliteten i majoriteten av studierna. Signifikant förbättring var mest förekommande i den sociala domänen. Slutsats: Djur inom vården påverkar hälsorelaterad livskvalitet i varierande utsträckning hos olika vårdtagargrupper. Djur kan påverka vårdtagarnas livskvalitet positivt och är därmed lämpligt att använda som ett komplement i behandling och rehabilitering inom vården. / Background: The use of animals in healthcare has shown to give many positive effects on humans. Regardless of people’s age and conditions, animals can contribute to the improvement of mental, physical and social functioning. A positive attitude, a person-centred approach and good interpersonal relationships are needed to provide good care. Intimacy and belonging are a part of the basic human needs. Quality of life is about how individuals value their mental, physical and social well-being. To improve quality of life often can be seen as the goal of nursing. Purpose: To describe how animal-assisted interventions influence health related quality of life in patients. Method: Deductive literature review was conducted with nine quantitative articles. To analyze the data Friberg’s three-stage model was used. Results: Six domains emerged in the concept of health related quality of life: physical, social, mental, emotional, activity and function and satisfaction. In addition to the domains a general quality of life emerged. No homogenous results could be seen in the different domains; however, in the majority of the studies there was significant improvement in the general quality of life. The most significant improvement was seen in the social domain. Conclusion: Animals in healthcare have different levels of impact on health related quality of life in different patient groups. Animals may positively affect patient’s quality of life and it is therefore suitable for use as a supplement in treatment and rehabilitation in healthcare.

Background: The elderly population is a vulnerable group, it is the nurse's responsibility to promote health and meet the nursing needs that arise. Health-related benefits for animal owners have been known since the ninth century and today animal-assisted interventions (AAI) are an accepted concept in health care. Aim: The aim is to describe the effect AAI hason the elderly in elderly care. Method: This is a general literature review. A thematic analysis has been used to compile the results from previous research. 14 articles from the databases CINAHL, Pubmed and Medline were selected for the result. 3 themes and 8 subthemes were identified: Quality of life with subthemes "Quality of life according to QUALID", "Socialinteraction", "Well-being" and "Sense of coherence", Symptom relief with subthemes "Mentalillness" and "Cognitive ability" and Physical health with subthemes "Physical activity” and “Appetite”. Results: AAI results in increased social interactions, reduction of depression, increased appetite and physical activity, improved cognition, increased well-being, sense of coherence and an improved quality of life (QoL). Conclusions: AAI can improve the health and QoL of the elderly in elderly care, especially for those with dementia. AAI can potentially reduce the use of drugs among the elderly. Further research in the field is needed to strengthen results found in several of the articles and to map the duration of the effects.

Animals and social work is an emerging field, and there is a troubling lack of research that has been conducted that attempts to document or explore the experiences of the animals involved in these practices. This dissertation explores the experiences of dogs working alongside social workers, using a mixed methods approach focussing on qualitative data. Data was gathered using critical ethnographic methodology involving interviews with social workers, dog owners and service users. Extensive observational field notes were taken during the use of an emerging research-creation digital method with the dogs and sensor data technologies. This research addresses three questions: (1), How can the experiences of dogs in social work be documented? (2), Why is it important to document these experiences? (3), How are dogs experiencing their involvement in social work practice? (4), What knowledge do the social workers who work with dogs have about involving these animals in social work? The data in this study isanalyzed through a critical post-humanist lens informed by decolonial Indigenous knowledges. Important themes that emerged were interspecies relationships, dog personalities and behaviourswhile working, workplaces and responsibilities, needs and benefits, training, and use of technology in research with OTH animals. Based on the innovative findings of this study, it can be determined that partial experiences of OTH animals involved in social work practice can and should be documented and explored to understand the high levels of responsibility, professionalism, and expectations that working dogs in the field are subject to. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation uses a mixed-methods approach to explore the experiences of dogs involved in social work practice. The research addresses four questions: (1), How can the experiences of dogs in social work be documented? (2), Why is it important to document these experiences? (3), How are dogs experiencing their involvement in social work practice? (4), What knowledge do the social workers who work with dogs have about involving these animals in social work? Based on the findings, it can be determined that partial experiences of dogs involved in social work practice can and should be documented and explored to understandthe responsibility, professionalism, and expectations that working dogs are subject to.

Evidence-based practices utilized by social workers working with veterans experiencing physical (e.g., spinal cord injuries and loss of limbs) and/or mental health (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use) issues are widely used with this vulnerable population. The number of social workers integrating animal-assisted interventions (AAI) or animal-assisted therapy (AAT) as a complementary intervention to these practices is extremely limited. A significant amount of research has been published on AAI and AAT, yet there is a gap in research regarding AAI and AAT as effective complementary approaches when working with veterans. The qualitative method utilized in this study was interviews in which MSWs and LCSWs were asked to share personal experiences while employed at veteran-supported agencies and/or non-profit organizations. The qualitative method of interviews and content analysis were used to help identify the themes and sub-themes of this study. The themes and sub-themes supported the phrases and statements drawn from the seven interviews conducted for this study. Findings supported in this study addressed the value of the human-animal bond, how integrating AAI and AAT with evidence-based practices can assist the veteran in improving quality of life (e.g., a decrease in social isolation, increase in social activity, decrease in substance use), and how important it is to recognize the need to provide the education in this field to social workers. Findings from this study can help to provide the foundation for future research, can underscore the value of offering and integrating AAI and AAT education into more MSW programs, and can contribute to establishing policy where those who can benefit by AAI and AAT are given access to it.

Bakgrund: Demenssjukdom är en obotlig progressiv sjukdom som medför olika beteendemässiga förändringar. Sjukdomens ständiga förändringar kräver ökad kunskap och kompetens från hälso- och sjukvård där vårdpersonal står för bemötande och omvårdnad som kan skapa skillnad och betydelse. Hundar i vården med syfte att skapa positiva effekter är en icke farmakologisk behandlingsmetod där aktuell forskning är begränsad. Med detta ansågs det värdefullt att genomföra en litteraturöversikt som undersöker betydelsen av vårdhundar för personer med demenssjukdom. Syfte: Att beskriva betydelsen av hundar i vården för personer med demenssjukdom. Metod: En litteraturöversikt med 13 originalartiklar från databaserna Cinahl Complete, MEDLINE och PubMed enligt Fribergs analysmetod. Resultat: Resultatet visade på positiva effekter vid depression samt välbefinnande för personer med demens. Även fysisk aktivitet och balans förbättrades. Signifikanta känslomässiga skillnader såsom ökad glädje och välbehag samt minskad ångest, oro och sorg uppmärksammades. Effekten av hundar i vården kunde även liknas med taktil massage. Diskussion: Huvudfynden diskuteras med utgångspunkt från Virginia Hendersons teori om vårdens grundprinciper av att tillfredsställa behov. / Background: Dementia is an incurable progressive disease that causes various behavioral changes. The constantly changing nature of dementia requires an increased knowledge and competence level in the care system where care staff supplies treatment and care that can create meaning and make a difference. Dogs in healthcare with the aim of creating positive patient effects are a non-pharmacological treatment method where current research is limited. Therefore it was considered valuable to carry out a literature review examining the importance of care dogs for people with dementia. Aim: To describe the importance of dogs in the care of patients with dementia. Method: A literature review with 13 original articles from the databases Cinahl Complete, MEDLINE and PubMed were used and analyzed using Friberg´s method. Results: The results showed positive effects on depression, well-being, physical activity and balance. Significant emotional differences such as increased joy and overall well-being, reduction in apathetic states as well as reduced anxiety and sadness has been noticed. The effect of dogs in care could be likened to tactile massage. Discussion: The authors discussed and reflected jointly on the main findings of the result based on Virginia Henderson's theory of the basic principles of care to satisfy human needs.