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.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka yrkesverksammas upplevelser av hur samspelet mellan människor och djur bidrar till återhämtning inom djurunderstödda insatser. Bakgrunden fokuserar på återhämtning var det hälsopromotiva perspektivet lyfts fram och användas som en riktning för att ge hälsopromotiva redskap. Inom de djurunderstödda insatserna används djuren som redskap eller hjälpmedel för att uppnå hälsofrämjande effekter. Metoden utgick från en kvalitativ ansats med ett induktivt förhållningsätt där semistrukturerade intervjuer gjordes för att besvara studiens syfte. Sju yrkesverksamma inom området intervjuades och materialet analyserades med latent innehållsanalys. Resultatet visade att samspelet mellan människa och djur har ett stort värde för det återhämtande syftet. Där närvaro, lugn och trygghet var delar som uppkom i samspelet och som generade till återhämtning. Samspelet skapade även positiva känslouttryck som frambringade glädje och där djuren blev förebilder genom sitt varande. Individens förmågor stärktes och vikten av trygga relationer lyftes samt de hinder som försvårade interaktion. Slutsatsen visade att samspelet mellan människor och djur är bidragande till återhämtningen utifrån det resultat som framkom. Därmed skulle djurunderstödda insatser kunna vara till nytta inom hälsopromotion som ett användbart redskap för att främja hälsa. / The aim of the study was to investigate professionals' experiences of how the interaction between humans and animals contributes to recovery within animal-assisted interventions. The background focuses on recovery, where the health-promoting perspective is highlighted and used as a direction to provide health-promoting tools. In the animal-supported efforts, the animals are used as tools or aids to achieve health-promoting effects. The method was a qualitative study with an inductive approach where semi-structured interviews were conducted to answer the purpose of the study. Seven professionals within the chosen subject were interviewed and the material was analyzed using latent content analysis. Five categories with two subcategories could be distinguished in the analysis. The result showed that the interaction between human and animal has great value for the recuperative purpose. Where presence, calm and security were parts that arose in the interaction and that gives recovery. The interaction also created positive emotional expressions that produced joy and where the animals became role models through their being. The individual's abilities were strengthened, and the importance of secure relationships was lifted as well as the obstacles that hindered interaction. The conclusion showed that the interaction between humans and animals is contributing to the recovery, based on the results that emerged. Animal-assisted interventions could be useful in health promotion as a useful tool to promote health.

The purpose of the essay is to investigate, through a literature review, how children are affected in an environment with dogs in social work and in what way. The overview study focuses on two main questions: What is the dog's influence on the child's well-being? And in what ways and in what contexts can the dog be a tool in working with children in social work? To gather empirical evidence, the authors performed a review study in which seven articles were retrieved using the databases OneSearch, Social Services Abstracts and Academic Search Premier. Furthermore, the seven articles have been analyzed based on a qualitative content analysis where three themes were designed: dog-assisted interventions, the dog as a resource and emotional well-being. In the theoretical frame of reference, attachment theory is used to understand the emotional relationship between children and dogs. The theory claims that attachment patterns in childhood affect future relationships and development. In addition, the attachment between children and parents is compared to the relationship between humans and dogs. SOC (sense of context) is also used and is an important theoretical term in social work. SOC is about seeing life as meaningful and coherent. The results of the studies show that animal-assisted interventions, especially with dogs, have positive effects on children in social work. These effects include increased well-being, increased engagement, better self-control and improved relationships. Dogs are said to function as secure attachment figures and can create meaningful and calming interactions. Finally, the authors suggest that animal-assisted interventions can be a valuable complement in social work with children and emphasize the need for continued research in the field. / Syftet med uppsatsen är att genom en litteraturöversikt undersöka hur barn påverkas i en miljö med hundar inom socialt arbete och på vilket sätt. Översikten fokuserar på två huvudfrågor: Vad är hundens påverkan på barnets välbefinnande? Och på vilka sätt och i vilka sammanhang kan hunden vara ett hjälpmedel i arbete med barn inom socialt arbete? För att samla empiri utförde författarna en översiktsstudie där sju artiklar inhämtades med hjälp av databaserna OneSearch, Social Services Abstracts och Academic Search Premier. Vidare har de sju artiklarna analyserats utifrån en kvalitativ innehållsanalys där tre teman utformades: hundassisterade insatser, hunden som resurs samt emotionellt välbefinnande. I den teoretiska referensramen används anknytningsteorin för att förstå den känslomässiga relationen mellan människa och hund. Utöver anknytningsteorin används även KASAM (känsla av sammanhang) och är en viktig teoretisk term inom socialt arbete. KASAM handlar om att se livet som meningsfullt och sammanhängande. Resultaten från studierna visar att djurassisterade insatser, särskilt med hundar, har positiva effekter på barn inom socialt arbete. Dessa effekter inkluderar ökat välmående, ökat engagemang, bättre självkontroll och förbättrade relationer. Hundar uppges fungera som trygg anknytningsperson och kan skapa meningsfulla och lugnande interaktioner. Slutligen föreslår författarna att djurassisterade insatser kan vara ett värdefullt komplement inom socialt arbete med barn och betonar behovet av fortsatt forskning inom området.

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Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:56:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elisa Alves de Almeida.pdf: 1751217 bytes, checksum: fac74030987fd7e64bf4be807fe01637 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-09-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aimed to identify and characterize Brazilian scientific production on Education, Activity and Animal Assisted Therapy. The study is an integrative literature review, which summarizes data from Brazilian scientific production on the subject published until December 2013, found in the databases SciELO, LILACS, BVS-Psi, PePSIC and Public Domain data, public and private universities libraries, references, national bookstores and authors. Was found 81 scientific publications which met the inclusion criteria of the study, with 26 scientific articles, ten courseworks/monographs, 19 dissertations/theses and 26 books. The main data extracted from the scientific productions were organized into a database that, then, were analyzed by means of analytical categories. It was observed that annually the animal-assisted interventions have been subject of studies in the last decade, especially in the area of psychology, in which the animal was shown to be an important therapeutic resource. Although the horse is the most common animal in the studies, there are many animals that provide various activities that allow the service of a different target audience, from children to elderly, from healthy people until ones with illnesses, disabilities or difficulties / Esta pesquisa teve por objetivo identificar e caracterizar produções científicas brasileiras sobre Educação, Atividade e Terapia Assistida por Animais. O estudo trata de uma revisão integrativa da literatura, que sintetiza os dados de produções científicas brasileiras sobre a temática publicadas até dezembro de 2013, encontradas nas bases de dados SciELO, LILACS, BVS-Psi, PePSIC e Domínio Público, bibliotecas de universidades públicas e particulares, referências, livrarias nacionais e autores. Encontraram-se 81 produções científicas que respeitavam os critérios de inclusão da pesquisa, sendo 26 artigos científicos, dez TCC/monografias, 19 dissertações/teses e 26 livros. Os principais dados extraídos das produções científicas foram organizados em banco de dados que, em seguida, foram analisados por meio de categorias analíticas. Observou-se que as intervenções assistidas por animais têm sido anualmente alvo de estudos na última década, em especial da área da psicologia, na qual o animal mostrou-se como um recurso terapêutico importante. Embora o cavalo seja o animal mais frequente nos estudos, são muitos os animais que possibilitam várias atividades que permitem o atendimento de um público alvo diferenciado, de crianças a idosos, de pessoas saudáveis a pessoas com doenças, dificuldades ou deficiências

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties with social communication and prosocial behaviors. Due to a lack of social communication and social interaction skills among children with ASD, special education teachers are tasked with providing meaningful social opportunities to them to facilitate their learning of these skills. Special education literature lacks research studies about how dog-based animal-assisted interventions (AAI) can improve social communication outcomes for children in a school setting. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study, guided by Bowlby's theory of attachment and the human-animal bond concept, was to explore, describe, and improve the understanding of how elementary teachers use dog-based AAI programs in their classrooms to facilitate social communication skill development for students with ASD. Data were collected through individual interviews of 10 elementary teachers and child-study team members who used AAI programs within their buildings. Data were openly coded using thematic analysis. Key findings of the study revealed that a therapy dog could act as a stimulus for social interactions as well as facilitate students' social interaction participation. The results also indicated the importance of the teacher's role in implementing AAI programs that target social communication skills. This study may contribute to the field of special education practice by promoting the implementation of more AAI programs in educational settings, not just for students with ASD, but also potentially for the whole school community.

In this piece I have attempted to perform descriptive quantitative research in the field of Animal-Assisted Activities and Animal-Assisted Therapies in the Czech Republic. I have placed emphasis on the professional background and dog handling skills of the dog-handler. I tried not only to focus on the impact of dogs on humans, but also to emphasize the importance of the personality of the therapist. I also consider the impact of different personality theories on the personality of the handler/therapist, and the importance of theoretical background and preparation in the given area in which the handler/therapist engages with dogs. Based on the positive respondent reactions, I trust that this research will prove to be of use to people involved in human-animal positive interactions.

Examinationsarbetet syftade till att, utifrån utbildade sociala tjänstehundförares perspektiv, utforska hur utbildade sociala tjänstehundar används i olika områden av socialt arbete. Vidare syftade undersökningen till att undersöka vilka för- och nackdelar utbildade tjänstehundförare upplever med hundassisterat socialt arbete. I undersökningen genomfördes elva kvalitativa intervjuer med elva sociala tjänstehundsförare vilka är aktiva inom olika typer av socialt arbete i Sverige. I analysen användes det sociala stödet som teoretisk utgångspunkt. I likhet med tidigare forskning indikerade resultatet att sociala tjänstehundar har ett brett och mångfacetterat användningsområde i socialt arbete. Hunden kan användas och på flera sätt verka instrumentellt, emotionellt och relationellt stödjande inom olika verksamheter. Hundar kan exempelvis användas i både målinriktade insatser i olika typer av stöd, behandling och utredningssammanhang samt i insatser där fokus ligger vid motivation och samvaro. Vidare upplevde sociala tjänstehundförare att hunden på flera sätt har en positiv påverkan på klienter i det sociala arbetet samt att hunden underlättar för hundförare i deras arbete då hunden exempelvis bidrar i uppbyggnaden av en arbetsallians och underlättar i samtal. Hundförarna upplevde att den tidkrävande aspekt som det hundassisterade sociala arbetet medför kan vara negativ. Vidare upplevde hundförarna de utmaningar som verksamhetsledningar, kollegor och samhällsopinionens inställningar till hundassisterat arbete, allergier och hundrädsla medför som en negativ aspekt med arbetet. / The purpose of this essay was to explore how formally trained social service dogs can be used as a resource in various areas of social work, based upon the perspectives of formally trained social service dog handlers. Secondly, to also examine the benefits and disadvantages social service dog handlers experience with dog assisted social work. The essay consists of eleven individual qualitative interviews with formally trained social service dog handlers, whom represent various fields within social work in Sweden. The social support theory was used in the analysis as the theoretical framework. In accordance with previous scientific research, the results of the study indicate that social service dogs have a wide variety of uses within the field of social work. They can provide clients with various types of emotional, instrumental and relational support within several different fields of social work. Social service dogs can be used in goal-oriented interventions for treatment, supportive and investigative purposes, as well as interventions with the purpose to motivate and promote social interaction. The handlers considered their dogs to have a variety of positive impacts on the clients and regarded that they could assist and facilitate the handlers in their work. For example, the dogs could facilitate the establishment of a work alliance and act supportive during difficult conversations. The handlers considered the time-consuming aspect of dog assisted social work as a disadvantage. However, they perceived challenges such as the attitude from management, colleagues and public opinion regarding allergies and fear of dogs as a negative aspect. / <p></p><p></p>

The cross-scientific field of Equine Assisted Interventions (EAI) for human health, education and wellbeing is wide, varied, and rapidly growing with an expressed need of increased knowledge. Interventions involving horses are used to address a variety of difficulties and suggested as an alternative option for children and youth in need of support, who for different reasons do not or cannot benefit from traditional therapeutic or educational contexts or settings. Research thus far has mainly investigated outcomes while systematic knowledge about processes and characteristics of these interventions is still lacking. The purpose of the study was to increase knowledge and understanding of EAI for children and youth by exploring key factors and interaction in a Therapeutic Horsemanship groundwork program for disadvantaged Young People. The research was of an exploratory nature, with qualitative research methods and an ethnographic approach where data was collected through a field study based on participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed by Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Results show that the interaction can be understood as a triad consisting of child, practitioner(s) and horse. Key factors in the intervention can be understood through eight interrelated themes, divided into Framework Themes and Content Themes. The Framework Themes are Concept, Environment and Activity. The Content Themes are Safe Spaces, Communication is Key, Positive Perceptions, Helping Horses and Learning for Life. These themes interrelate, enabling and affecting the intervention and interaction in the triad. To understand processes in the intervention, findings were interpreted through Experiential Learning Theory and the Biophilia Hypothesis. Results show the significance of the whole concept and the equine environment, and that learning can be identified throughout the intervention. Through interaction, cooperation and training with the horse, the Young Person learns, acquires and develops awareness, competences and skills which can eventually be transferred to their everyday life, thus providing increased social competence and ability to handle difficulties. The intervention can be summarised as being child-centred, horse-focused and action-based. Findings suggest a significance of working exclusively with rescue horses,and that EAI based on groundwork activities can offer a novel and positive experiential learning experience for young people. Findings further suggest that the experiential learning process in EAI may be directable to address various issues, and that EAI/groundwork therefore could be a suitable option for children and youth for whom more traditional or conventional settings for education or therapy are not an option. / Det tvärvetenskapliga fältet hästunderstödda insatser (HUI) för mänsklig hälsa, lärande och välbefinnande är snabbt växande med ett behov av ökad kunskap. Tidigare forskning har huvudsakligen rört eventuella effekter och resultat, medan det saknas systematiserad kunskap om såväl processer som insatsernas karaktär. Studiens syfte var att öka kunskapen om hästunderstödda insatser genom att utforska nyckelfaktorer och interaktion i ett program baserat på markarbete med häst för utsatta barn och ungdomar. Studien var av utforskande karaktär, med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod och ett etnografiskt angreppssätt där datainsamling skedde genom en fältstudie baserad på deltagande observation och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Data analyserades genom Reflexiv Tematisk Analys. Resultaten visar att interaktionen kan förstås som en triad bestående av barn, praktiker och häst. Nyckelfaktorer i interventionen kan förstås genom åtta teman fördelade på två grupper; Ramverksteman: Concept, Environment och Activity, samt Innehållsteman: Safe Spaces, Communication is Key, Positive Perceptions,Helping Horses och Learning for Life. Dessa teman samverkar, möjliggör och påverkar insatsen och interaktionen i triaden. För att förstå processer i insatsen tolkades resultaten genom Experiential Learning Theory och The Biophilia Hypothesis. Resultaten visar en signifikans av hästens miljö, samt att upplevelsebaserat lärande kan identifieras genom hela insatsen, vilken kan sammanfattas som barncentrerad, hästfokuserad och aktivitetsbaserad. Resultaten visar vidare en signifikans av att arbeta uteslutande med hästar som omhändertagits eller omplacerats på grund av tex vanvård, samt att lärande kan identifieras genom hela insatsen och förefaller kunna riktas/anpassas efter olika behov och syften. Hästunderstödda insatser i form av markarbete kan ses som en lämplig metod att erbjuda upplevelsebaserat lärande, och upplevas som en ny och positiv erfarenhet för utsatta barn och ungdomar för vilka mer traditionella insatser inte är ett alternativ. Genom interaktion och samarbete med hästen lär sig, förvärvar och utvecklar barnet/ungdomen medvetande, kunskap och kompetenser vilka kan överföras till deras dagliga liv och leda till bland annat ökad social kompetens och förmåga att hantera svårigheter.