Sweden is often seen as a welfare state where children can grow up in safe circumstances. However, social support for children who are at risk of social exclusion has been shown to be lacking. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an alternative intervention within the field of social work, though it is still in its infancy. Existing research evidence suggests that AAT can generate positive results, especially for individuals who have low engagement in other types of treatment. This study examines how AAT is used within the field of social work with children and young people. Seven professionals who employ AAT in their work with children and young people were interviewed. The interviews were interpreted through Antonovsky’s theory Sense of Coherence (SOC). Results show that the animal is seen to increase motivation for the child to partake in the treatment. The therapeutic alliance that is created through the presence of the animal can be helpful in increasing the child’s SOC and the surrounding environment can also play a significant part.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-230543 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Källman, Emma-Karin, Rosenqvist-Mitchell, Tyra |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för socialt arbete |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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