Research in Human-Animal Interaction
Cevizci, S.; Erginoz, E.; Baltas, Z.;
Turk Silahl Kuvvetleri, Koruyucu Hekimlik Bulteni. 2009. 8: 3, 263-272. .
Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) or Pet Therapy is an adjunctive therapy that takes advantage of human and animal interaction, activates physiological and psychological mechanisms, and initiates positive changes to improve metabolic health. In recent years, this interaction is use to treat psychological and psychiatric disorders such as stress, depression, loneliness, and pervasive developmental disorders. Furthermore, AAT has been increasingly used to improve quality of life and in other diseases like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and AIDS. This paper aims to provide an overview on AAT, discusses human and animal interaction, and evaluates AAT's scientific background. Information on the risks, institutional applications, and other factors relevant to AAT are also discussed.