anthrozoology.org

Lefebvre, SL; Golab, GC; Christensen, E.; Castrodale, L.; Aureden, K.; Bialachowski, A.; Gumley, N.; Robinson, J.; Peregrine, A.; Benoit, M.; Card, ML; Horne, L. van; Weese, JS;

AJIC - American Journal of Infection Control. 2008. 36: 2, 78-85.

Many hospitals and long-term care facilities in North America currently permit animals to visit with their patients; however, the development of relevant infection control and prevention policies has lagged, due in large part to the lack of scientific evidence regarding risks of patient infection associated with animal interaction. This report provides standard guidelines for animal-assisted interventions in health care facilities, taking into account the available evidence.

Orlandi, M.; Trangeled, K.; Mambrini, A.; Tagliani, M.; Ferrarini, A.; Zanetti, L.; Tartarini, R.; Pacetti, P.; Cantore, M.;

Anticancer Research. International Institute of Anticancer Research, Attiki, Greece: 2007. 27: 6C, 4301-4304.

Background: Pet therapy is utilised to improve the quality of life of patients with chronic diseases. The impact of AAA (animal-assisted activities), a kind of pet therapy, on oncological patients submitted to chemotherapy was evaluated. Patients and Methods: Two groups of patients receiving chemotherapy with (experimental group) or without AAA (control group) were compared. The 2 participating dogs have been trained by a cynophilist behaviourist and examined by a veterinarian. Before and after chemotherapy both groups of patients were asked to fill out a A.De.Ss.O. test questionnaire, a simplified Italian version of Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire. Arterial blood pressure, heart rate and arterial oxygen saturation were recorded. Results: Depression improved only in the AAA group (p=0.01). Arterial oxygen saturation increased in the experimental group (p=0.004), while it decreased in the controls. Conclusion: AAA during chemotherapy reduces depression of patients and increases their arterial oxygen saturation.

Cirulli, F.; Alleva, E.;

Rapporti ISTISAN - Istituto Superiore di Sanita. Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Roma, Italy: 2007. 07/35, 38 pp.

The use of animals as therapists dates back to ancient times and is gaining more and more importance. The modern term "Pet Therapy" refers to the use of pet animals in the cure of specific disorders. These activities are highly heterogeneous, both in terms of the professional careers of the operators, of the typology of patients and the modalities of intervention used. The increasing interest in Pet Therapy, and the lack of an ad hoc legislation, that might formally regulate the therapies performed with animals, has raised the need to document the activities that are being undertaken in Italy under this label. We present in this report some data concerning activities and therapies preformed in Italy with the assistance of animals. Ethical issues are discussed and guidelines suggested to ensure health and welfare of all subjects participating in these programs.

Esteves, Stephanie Walters; Stokes, Trevor

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, Volume 21, Number 1, March 2008 , pp. 5-15(11)

 Productive and positive interactions between dogs and humans have been documented in studies using dogs trained as companion animals and as assistants for people with disabilities. In this study, the effects of the presence of a dog on social interactions between three 5-9-year-old children with developmental disabilities and their teacher at an elementary school were analyzed. A single-case experimental design with repeated measures and with replicated effects across participants was employed to assess changes in interactions from baseline to an intervention condition. During baseline, interactions were assessed in the social environment of a room adjacent to the classroom, which had a toy dog and other play materials, during time with the teacher. The experimental change introduced sequentially and systematically across the participants was the additional presence of an obedience-trained dog, a German Shepherd/Labrador Retriever cross. Interactions between the children and their teacher were examined during morning sessions using reliable direct observation interval recording procedures. All participants demonstrated an increase in overall positive initiated behaviors (verbal and non-verbal) toward both the teacher and the dog. The children also showed an overall decrease in negative initiated behaviors. In addition, observational ratings showed positive generalization of improved social responsiveness by the children in their classroom following the completion of the experimental sessions. This study supports the position that children with developmental disabilities benefit from the use of skilled dogs as teaching assistants and therapeutic adjuncts.

Yorke, Jan; Adams, Cindy; Coady, Nick

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, Volume 21, Number 1, March 2008 , pp. 17-30(14)

 Although most human-animal bond research has focused on relationships between humans and pets, animals have been used for therapeutic purposes in a variety of settings. Therapeutic riding programs have demonstrated a positive impact on quality of life for people with disabilities. Equine-facilitated psychotherapy is a promising approach to address self-esteem, depression, and other emotional or psychological problems. Restoration of the trauma victim's capacity for recovery hinges on provision of safety and development of trust, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. Thus, recovery from trauma represents an ideal context for exploring the therapeutic impact of equine-human relationships. The six participants in this study recognized that their pre-existing relationships with horses were therapeutic during recovering from trauma, defined as sufficient to have caused significant change in the participant's life. Semi-structured interviews and video-tapes of horse-rider interaction were used to describe the nature of the equine-human bond and its contribution to recovery from trauma. The equine-human bonds described by participants have parallels both with important elements of therapeutic alliances between professionals and clients and with the positive impact of relationship factors on client outcome.

Souter, M. A.; Miller, M. D.;

Anthrozoos.  2007. 20: 2, 167-180.

We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effectiveness of animal-assisted activities (AAA) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT) for reducing depressive symptoms in humans. To be included in the meta-analysis, studies had to demonstrate random assignment, include a comparison/control group, use AAA or AAT, use a self-report measure of depression, and report sufficient information to calculate effect sizes, a statistical standardization of the strength of a treatment effect. Five studies were identified for analysis. The aggregate effect size for these studies was of medium magnitude and statistically significant, indicating that AAA/AAT are associated with fewer depressive symptoms. This analysis revealed gaps in the research on AAA/AAT, which we attempted to identify in order to better understand the factors that make AAA and AAT effective at reducing depression.

Pereira, M. J. F.; Pereira, L.; Ferreira, M. L.;

Saude Coletiva. Ferreira & Bento do Brasil Ltda, 2007. 4: 14, 62-66.

Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) has been used as one more instrument in the promotion of health and treatment of some diseases. This bibliographic review highlights the benefits derived from AAT. Although the use of animals in therapy has been mentioned since the 19th century, only in 1962 was a documentation on the benefits of AAT in psychology performed. It was noted that AAT was first applied in patients with cardiovascular diseases, in operating rooms prior to the actual surgical operation, in intensive care units, in paediatric centres, and in psychiatric patients with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Nimer, Janelle; Lundahl, Brad

Anthrozoos: Volume 20,  3, September 2007 ,

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been practiced for many years and there is now increasing interest in demonstrating its efficacy through research. To date, no known quantitative review of AAT studies has been published; our study sought to fill this gap. We conducted a comprehensive search of articles reporting on AAT in which we reviewed 250 studies, 49 of which met our inclusion criteria and were submitted to meta-analytic procedures. Overall, AAT was associated with moderate effect sizes in improving outcomes in four areas: Autism-spectrum symptoms, medical difficulties, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being. Contrary to expectations, characteristics of participants and studies did not produce differential outcomes. AAT shows promise as an additive to established interventions and future research should investigate the conditions under which AAT can be most helpful.

Hatch, A.

 Anthrozoos. 2007. 20: 1, 37-50

 In recent decades, animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activity (AAA) programs have gained in popularity. A growing literature documents the benefits of AAT/AAA for humans. The prevalent perspective for AAT/AAA research is "what can non-human animals do for us?" with no apparent consideration to what such programs may do for, or to, the animals involved. Ample research reveals that animals are minded actors with the capacity to feel complex emotions. Consequently, AAT/AAA programs should benefit the animals as well as the humans involved. Based on interviews with human volunteers in an animal shelter's AAA program and participant observation in the same program, this paper investigates the animals' experience in AAA. Specifically, this study discusses the use of shelter animals as "volunteer therapists" and concludes that AAT/AAA programs raise numerous concerns for the animals involved. These findings indicate the need for more attention to the experience of animals in AAT/AAA programs.