In addition to increasing social interactions, the benefits of animal-assisted therapy include human-animal interaction that can reduce emotional arousal and anger, according to 2019 research. Pet therapy may help both children and adults with a variety of physical and mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure. Some stories have wonderfully shown the positive effects of therapy animals on mental health. Therapy animals play a very valuable role in the recovery of hospital patients. An attractive animal can brighten up someone’s day or offer much-needed emotional support at difficult times.
Stress Reduction and Anxiety Relief
The researchers observed significant changes in mood before and after sessions involving therapy dogs. Specifically, negative moods decreased, while positive moods, such as feelings of happiness, relaxation, and calmness, increased. Overall, these findings highlight the efficacy of AAT in positively impacting the well-being and overall functioning of individuals with psychiatric Animal Therapy Benefits disorders. Therapy animals are specifically trained animals that provide comfort and friendship to individuals with numerous mental issues.
Quantitative Study
The number of studies with at least one statistically significant positive outcome measure, divided by patient condition and intervention category, is presented in Table 3. Animal-assisted therapy, also known as pet therapy, is a therapeutic intervention that involves animals to enhance the well-being of individuals across various populations and settings. Regardless of the species, it is important that therapy animals are well-trained, comfortable with lots of different people, and have a personality that is appropriate for the settings where they work. The most common type of animal used for animal therapy is a dog but other animals can be a therapy animal, too. Some types of animals are used more often because they’re compatibile with services provided. There are many benefits of animal therapy that go well beyond feelings of comfort and emotional support.
Students and Individuals in High-Stress Environments
In the past 50 years, the field of human-animal interaction and, specifically, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has made significant advancements and progress. AAT is a therapeutic approach that uses animals to improve overall health and well-being. It encompasses emotional, psychological, and physical interactions between individuals, animals, and the environment 6. AAT interventions involve qualified treatment providers facilitating interactions between patients and animals with specific therapeutic goals in mind. These interventions often involve collaborative activities between human-animal teams, aiming to promote therapeutic and supportive outcomes 7. Each of the 6 conducted studies involved a comparison between an intervention group receiving a specific therapy and a control group that did not participate in any related activities.
Beneficial for individuals in high-stress environments such as schools and workplaces, interactions with therapy animals can elevate mood and decrease physiological stress responses. Pet therapy involves the use of animals to support the treatment of physical and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and high blood pressure. Choose the suitable animals in making this selection, choices for a given program; goals and objectives should match a client’s preferences. Animal-assisted therapies (AAT) are approaches to mental health care that incorporate animals into the psychotherapy process, emphasizing the bond created during human-animal interactions.
Animals used for therapy include more than dogs and horses
- One of these studies used a randomized controlled design 26, while the other 2 studies used purposive sampling based on the patients’ conditions.
- Organizations offering AAT might give participants a variety of animals to choose from by operating on a large farm or creating a type of petting zoo filled with AAT-approved animals.
- Equine-assisted therapy uses horses to support emotional growth and physical rehabilitation.
- The exact type of animal therapy can vary greatly depending on what condition the person has, the type of animal, and what kind of therapy they provide.
The researchers note that the therapy may be beneficial for people from many different age groups with various conditions. For example, a 2019 study found that the use of therapy dogs improved the efficacy of mental health treatments among adolescents. Owning a therapy or companion animal, such as a dog trained to sense and alleviate anxiety, is only loosely considered a type of animal-assisted psychotherapy. AAT, by definition, involves the active participation of a mental health professional. Studies that evaluate the benefits of AAT generally do not include evidence gathered from this particular population.
Creating an Effective Therapy Animal Program
Individuals often feel more comfortable engaging with others when animals are present — which can improve communication and reduce feelings of isolation. To find a therapy animal program, you might start contacting your local mental health clinics, hospitals, or schools. In addition, some groups, like Pet Partners or the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, publish directories of certified therapy animal teams.
- Animal-assisted therapy provides children and adolescents with emotional support, plus reduces anxiety and enhances social skills.
- Our review was based on a limited number of studies, which can be attributed to our strict inclusion criteria and the presence of suboptimal study designs.
- The positive interactions with an animal may lead to benefits in the mind and body, such as reduced stress and an overall more balanced mental and emotional state.
- If you’ve ever wondered what animal-assisted therapy is and how it can support well-being, read on to explore how it works and the wide range of benefits it offers.
- There may be a chance of them spreading these infections to other people, making thorough testing important for any animal.
Therapy with small animals like guinea pigs and rabbits offers a gentle, accessible form of animal-assisted therapy. Their calm nature and size make them ideal for schools, nursing homes and rehab centers as they help reduce anxiety while boosting social engagement and emotional well-being. However, it’s important to discuss with your doctor or therapist about whether pet therapy might be a suitable addition to your treatment plan.
How Can Animal-Assisted Therapies Help?
A trained handler, often the pet’s owner, will take the animal to every meeting and work under your doctor or therapist’s direction to help you reach your goals. Additionally, some long-term care facilities may offer pet therapy programs to help improve the mood and general well-being of people in these facilities. In reality, animal-assisted therapy has a wide range of benefits that enhance physical, emotional, social, and mental well-being. Below, we will explore these benefits in more depth to emphasise why this approach is such a valuable addition to therapeutic programs. All the researchers carried out assessments to determine the likelihood of bias, and the results of these assessments showed a remarkable level of consistency across all the investigations. The data depicted in Figure 2 indicate that the articles authored by Hinic et al 28, Priyanka MB 30, and Menna et al 34 exhibited a high risk of bias.
In the studies conducted by Hinic et al 28 and Branson et al 32, dog therapy was provided to children who were hospitalized, and their anxiety levels were assessed before and after the intervention. The results from the STAI for Children suggested that brief pet therapy visits served as a tool to decrease anxiety in children who were hospitalized and promote family satisfaction. McCullough et al 31 conducted a study where the intervention group participated in dog therapy, while the control group received standard care at the hospital. The findings demonstrated the applicability and effectiveness of AAT interventions in reducing stress and anxiety levels in patients with cancer.
These countries are currently in the infancy phase of using and developing their own AAT programs. As awareness and understanding of the benefits of AAT continue to grow worldwide, it is expected that these Eastern countries will gradually catch up and further enhance their ATT initiatives 40. The 6 trials that specifically addressed stress and anxiety used AAT interventions involving dog therapy. These studies exclusively targeted children and adolescents, using a randomized controlled design. In 5 of the studies, the therapy sessions lasted between minutes, while 1 study did not specify the duration of the intervention period.
Being around Bella was a ‘decompression’ moment for students, who could cope with exam week better because the dog’s presence was soothing and relaxed. Additionally, therapy animals that visit hospitals and other long-term facilities may be carriers of certain infections or diseases. There may be a chance of them spreading these infections to other people, making thorough testing important for any animal. Many clients with mental health challenges or trauma find it very hard to trust humans because of past experiences. Animals help bridge that gap and enable the client to gradually build up their trust and confidence in relationships again.
AAT is sometimes confused with animal-assisted activities (AAA), however there are distinctions between the two. Keep reading to learn more, including how it works, who it may benefit, and more. Clients can go into a session clearly and confidently by knowing how animal-assisted therapy works. This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
This systematic review and meta-analysis sheds light on the potential of animal-assisted interventions to enhance overall well-being and health. Our research aims to contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of animals in therapeutic contexts and to explore the specific contexts in which these interventions are most effective. One of the unique aspects of our study is the incorporation of both quantitative and qualitative analyses to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effects of AAT. While previous research has predominantly relied on quantitative data, we believe that qualitative insights from participants who have experienced these interventions offer valuable perspectives.
