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Mental health and therapy mediated by animals: a programme at the Porto Alegre's Center for Psychosocial Care for Children and Adolescents - TAA Part III.

Faraco, C. B.; Pizzinato, A.; Csordas, M. C.; Moreira, M. C.; Zavaschi, M. L. S.; Santos, T.; Oliveira, V. L. S. de; Boschetti, F. L.; Menti, L. de M.; 

Saude Coletiva. 2009. 6: 34, 231-236. 

The aim of this study was to examine the repercussions of an Animal Assisted Therapy programme among a group of patients at the Center for Psychosocial Care for Childhood and Adolescence at the Hospital de Clinicas of Porto Alegre in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The study focused on the psychosocial repercussions of these interventions on global functioning, psychiatric symptoms and peer relationships, as analysed by the Children Global Assessment Scale and Strengths Difficulties Questionnaire tools. The study included 28 children and adolescents aged 7-16 years and their guardians. The results showed that when the information are analysed as a whole, there are differences that tend to yield global functioning scores compatible with the category of normality.