Human–Animal Bond Generated in a Brief Animal-Assisted Therapy Intervention in Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Design and Participants
2.2. Selection Process
2.3. Variables
2.3.1. Response Variables
2.3.2. Independent Variables
2.4. Intervention
2.5. Human Resources
2.6. Animal Resources
2.7. Analysis
2.8. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Participant Characteristics
3.2. Results of Participant–Dog Bond
4. Discussion
Limitations
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Jegatheesan, B.; Beetz, A.; Ormerod, E.; Johnson, R.; Fine, A.; Yamazaki, K.; Dudzik, C.; Garcia, R.M.; Winkle, M.; Choi, G. International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations: IAHAIO White Paper 2014. The IAHAIO Definitions for Animal Assisted Intervention and Guidelines for Wellness of Animals Involved. 2015. Available online: https://iahaio.org/best-practice/white-paper-on-animal-assisted-interventions/ (accessed on 17 December 2022).
- Schuck, S.E.B.; Johnson, H.L.; Abdullah, M.M.; Stehli, A.; Fine, A.H.; Lakes, K.D. The role of animal assisted intervention on improving self-esteem in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Front. Pediatr. 2018, 6, 300. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Martínez Abellán, R. La terapia asistida por animales una nueva perspectiva y linea de investigacion en la atencion a la diversisdad. Indivisa. Bol. Estud. Investig. 2008, 9, 117–144. [Google Scholar]
- Rodrigo Claverol, M.; Rodrigo Claverol, E.; Bergadà Bell-lloch, J.; Solé Pujol, M.; Casanova Gonzalvo, C.; Jové Naval, J. Terapia asistida con animales para mejorar el estado emocional de adultos con autismo. Quaderns Digitals 2017, 84, 1–17. [Google Scholar]
- McCune, S.; Kruger, K.A.; Griffin, J.A.; Esposito, L.; Freund, L.S.; Hurley, K.J.; Bures, R. Evolution of research into the mutual benefits of human-animal interaction. Anim. Front. 2014, 4, 49–58. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- McCune, S.; McCardle, P.; Griffin, J.A.; Esposito, L.; Hurley, K.; Bures, R.; Kruger, K.A. Editorial: Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) Research: A Decade of Progress. Front. Veter Sci. 2020, 7, 44. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Griffin, J.A.; Hurley, K.; McCune, S. Human-Animal Interaction Research: Progress and Possibilities. Front Psychol. 2019, 10, 2803. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Carr, E.C.J.; Wallace, J.E.; Pater, R.; Gross, D.P. Evaluating the relationship between well-being and living with a dog for people with chronic low back pain: A feasibility study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 1472. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Menna, L.F.; Santaniello, A.; Todisco, M.; Amato, A.; Borrelli, L.; Scandurra, C.; Fioretti, A. The human-animal relationship as the focus of animal-assisted interventions: A one health approach. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 3660. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Beetz, A.; Uvnäs-Moberg, K.; Julius, H.; Kotrschal, K. Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: The possible role of oxytocin. Front. Psychol. 2012, 3, 234. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Dimitrijević, I. Animal-assisted Therapy—A new trend in the treatment of children and adults. Psychiatr. Danub. 2009, 21, 236–241. [Google Scholar]
- López-Cepero, J. Current status of animal-assisted interventions in scientific literature: A critical comment on their internal validity. Animals 2020, 10, 985. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Grandgeorge, M.; Hausberger, M. Human-animal relationships: From daily life to animal-assisted therapies. Ann. Ist. Super Sanita 2011, 47, 397–408. [Google Scholar] [PubMed]
- Barker, S.B.; Gee, N.R. Canine-Assisted Interventions in Hospitals: Best Practices for Maximizing Human and Canine Safety. Front. Vet. Sci. 2021, 8, 615730. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Fine, A.H. Incorporating Animal-Assisted Therapy into Psychotherapy: Guidelines and Suggestions for Therapists. In Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy; Elsevier Inc.: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2010; pp. 169–191. [Google Scholar]
- Jones, M.G.; Rice, S.M.; Cotton, S.M. Incorporating animal-assisted therapy in mental health treatments for adolescents: A systematic review of canine assisted psychotherapy. PLoS ONE 2019, 14, e0210761. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Folch, A.; Torrente, M.; Heredia, L.; Vicens, P. Estudio preliminar de la efectividad de la terapia asistida con perros en personas de la tercera edad. Rev. Esp. Geriatr. Gerontol. 2016, 51, 210–216. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Walsh, F. Human-Animal Bonds I: The Relational Significance of Companion Animals. Fam. Process. 2009, 48, 462–480. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Consejo General de la Psicología. Libro Blanco de la Salud mental Infanto-Juvenil; Consejo General de la Psicología: Madrid, Spain, 2021; Volume 1, pp. 1–201. [Google Scholar]
- Connor, D.F.; Carlson, G.A.; Chang, K.D.; Daniolos, P.T.; Ferziger, R.; Findling, R.L.; Hutchinson, J.G.; Malone, R.P.; Halperin, J.M.; Plattner, B.; et al. Juvenile maladaptive aggression: A review of prevention, treatment, and service configuration and a proposed research agenda. J. Clin. Psychiatry 2006, 67, 808–820. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Barrett, P.M.; Ollendick, T.H. (Eds.) Handbook of Interventions that Work with Children and Adolescents; Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2004. [Google Scholar]
- McCart, M.R.; Sheidow, A.J. Evidence-Based Psychosocial Treatments for Adolescents with Disruptive Behavior. J. Clin. Child Adolesc. Psychol. 2016, 45, 529–563. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Johnson, R.A.; Odendaal, J.S.J.; Meadows, R.L. Animal-Assisted Interventions Research. West J. Nurs. Res. 2002, 24, 422–440. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fulton, B. Evaluation of the Reliability of the Center for the Study of Animal Wellness Pet Bonding Scale (CSAWPBS) and the Dog Walk Program; The University of Missouri: Columbia, MI, USA, 2005. [Google Scholar]
- General Assembly of the World Medical Association. World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. J. Am. Coll. Dent. 2014, 81, 14–18. [Google Scholar]
- Bacigalupe, A.; Cabezas, A.; Bueno, M.B.; Martín, U. Gender as a Determinant of Mental Health and Its Medicalization; SESPAS Report 2020; Doyma, S.L., Ed.; Gaceta Sanitaria: Madrid, Spain, 2020; Volume 34, pp. 61–67. [Google Scholar]
- Barak, Y.; Savorai, O.; Mavashev, S.; Beni, A. Animal-assisted therapy for elderly schizophrenic patients: A one-year controlled trial. Am. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 2001, 9, 439–442. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Freidin, E.; Carballo, F.; Bentosela, M. Direct Reciprocity in Animals: The Roles of Bonding and Affective Processes; Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2017; Volume 52, pp. 163–170. [Google Scholar]
- Pérez-Sáez, E.; Pérez-Redondo, E.; Elena González-Ingelmo, M.; Pérez Sáez, E. Effects of Dog Assisted Therapy on Social Behaviors and Emotional Expressions: A Single-case Experimental Design in Three People with Dementia Corresponding Author. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry Neurol. 2020, 33, 109–119. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Delgado-Rodríguez, R.; Carriquí Madroñal, R.; Vázquez Villalba, C.; Martos-Montes, R.; Ordoñez-Pérez, D. The role of dogs in modulating human affective reactivity and sense of safety in emotional urban public spaces. J. Vet. Behav. 2022, 55–56, 12–22. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Muela, A.; Balluerka, N.; Sansinenea, E.; Machimbarrena, J.M.; García-ormaza, J.; Ibarretxe, N.; Eguren, A.; Baigorri, P. A social-emotional learning program for suicide prevention through animal-assisted intervention. Animals 2021, 11, 3375. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Duff, C.T.; Bedi, R.P. Counsellor behaviours that predict therapeutic alliance: From the client’s perspective. Couns Psychol. Q. 2010, 23, 91–110. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mezza, F.; Saturnino, C.; Pizzo, R.; Santaniello, A.; Cristiano, S.; Garzillo, S.; Maldonato, N.; Bochicchio, V.; Menna, L.; Scandurra, C. Process Evaluation of Animal Assisted Therapies with Children: The Role of the Human-Animal Bond on the Therapeutic Alliance, Depth of Elaboration, and Smoothness of Sessions. Mediterr. J. Clin. Psychology 2022, 10, 1–23. [Google Scholar]
- Ávila-Álvarez, A.; Pardo-Vázquez, J.; De-Rosende-celeiro, I.; Jácome-Feijoo, R.; Torres-Tobío, G. Assessing the outcomes of an animal-assisted intervention in a paediatric day hospital: Perceptions of children and parents. Animals 2020, 10, 1788. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mezzalira, S.; Scandurra, C.; Santaniello, A.; Mezza, F.; Saturnino, C.; Cristiano, S.; Pizzo, R.; Maldonato, N.M.; Menna, L.F.; Bochicchio, V. Affiliative Bonds and Cruel Behavior in Childhood Interspecific Relationships: A Conceptual Framework on the Psychodynamics of Affect Regulation. Mediterr. J. Clin. Psychology 2022, 10. [Google Scholar]
- Leonardi, R.; Buchanan-Smith, H.; McIvor, G.; Vick, S.J. “You Think You’re Helping Them, But They’re Helping You Too”: Experiences of Scottish Male Young Offenders Participating in a Dog Training Program. Int. J. Env. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 945. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Harvey, L. Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound, and Stay Fit for Older Adults: A Secondary Data. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia, MI, USA, 2021. [Google Scholar]
- Kazdin, A.E.; Marciano, P.L.; Whitley, M.K. The Therapeutic Alliance in Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Children Referred for Oppositional, Aggressive, and Antisocial Behavior. J. Consult. Clin. Psychol. 2005, 73, 726–730. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Balluerka, N.; Muela, A.; Amiano, N.; Caldentey, M.A. Influence of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) on the attachment representations of youth in residential care. Child Youth Serv. Rev. 2014, 42, 103–109. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brelsford, V.; Meints, K.; Gee, N.; Pfeffer, K. Animal-Assisted Interventions in the Classroom—A Systematic Review. Int. J. Env. Res. Public Health 2017, 14, 669. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
All Participants (N = 114) | Boys (N = 18) | Girls (N = 96) | Statistic (t-Value or Chi-Squared Value) | p-Value (Boys vs. Girls) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sociodemographic variables | |||||
Sex (Girls) | 96 (84.2%) | - | - | - | - |
Age | 14.9 (1.61) | 14.1 (2.14) | 15.0 (1.46) | −1.69 | 0.106 |
Region | - | 0.434 | |||
Lleida | 52 (45.6%) | 6 (33.3%) | 46 (47.9%) | ||
Mataró | 31 (27.2%) | 7 (38.9%) | 24 (25.0%) | ||
Madrid | 31 (27.2%) | 5 (27.8%) | 26 (27.1%) | ||
Owns a pet | 25 (21.9%) | 4 (22.2%) | 21 (21.9%) | - | 1 |
Clinical variables | |||||
Depression | 49 (43.0%) | 8 (44.4%) | 41 (42.7%) | 0.00 | 1 |
Psychosis | 5 (4.39%) | 1 (5.56%) | 4 (4.17%) | - | 0.584 |
Behavioral disorder | 13 (11.4%) | 4 (22.2%) | 9 (9.38%) | - | 0.124 |
Eating disorder | 40 (35.1%) | 4 (22.2%) | 36 (37.5%) | - | 0.328 |
Borderline personality disorder | 2 (1.75%) | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (2.08%) | - | 1 |
Bipolar disorder | 2 (1.75%) | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (2.08%) | - | 1 |
Autism spectrum disorder | 4 (3.51%) | 1 (5.56%) | 3 (3.12%) | - | 0.502 |
Emotional disorder | 2 (1.75%) | 0 (0.00%) | 2 (2.08%) | - | 1 |
Obsessive–compulsive disorder | 2 (1.75%) | 1 (5.56%) | 1 (1.04%) | - | 0.292 |
CSAWPBS | All Participants (N = 114) | Boys (N = 18) | Girls (N = 96) | t-Value (Boys vs. Girls) | p-Value (Boys vs. Girls) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bond with the dog (total score) | 56.4 (18.1) | 51.4 (17.7) | 57.3 (18.1) | −1.302 | 0.205 |
Unconditional acceptance subscale | 1.61 (0.55) | 1.62 (0.53) | 1.61 (0.56) | 0.114 | 0.91 |
Reciprocity subscale | 2.12 (0.73) | 1.93 (0.70) | 2.15 (0.73) | −1.235 | 0.228 |
Attachment subscale | 2.06 (0.76) | 1.82 (0.70) | 2.10 (0.76) | −1.503 | 0.145 |
CSAWPBS | No (N = 89) | Yes (N = 25) | t-Value (Yes vs. No) | p-Value |
---|---|---|---|---|
Human–dog bond | 57.4 (19.2) | 52.7 (13.0) | −1.439 | 0.156 |
Unconditional acceptance subscale | 1.63 (0.58) | 1.53(0.45) | −0.966 | 0.399 |
Reciprocity subscale | 2.15 (0.77) | 2.00 (0.59) | −1.049 | 0.299 |
Attachment subscale | 2.10 (0.80) | 1.89 (0.559 | −1.488 | 0.142 |
Depression | Psychosis | Behavioral Disorder | Eating Disorder | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CSAWPBS | No (N = 65) | Yes (N = 49) | t-Value (Yes vs. No) | p-Value | No (N = 109) | Yes (N = 5) | t-Value (Yes vs. No) | p-Value | No (N = 101) | Yes (N = 13) | t-Value (Yes vs. No) | p-Value | No (N = 74) | Yes (N = 40) | t-Value (Yes vs. No) | p-Value |
Human–dog bond | 55.4 (17.3) | 57.7 (19.2) | 0.669 | 0.505 | 56.6 (18.2) | 50.8 (15.7) | −0.810 | 0.459 | 57.1 (17.9) | 50.8 (19.6) | −1.106 | 0.287 | 54.6 (18.5) | 59.6 (17.1) | 1.457 | 0.149 |
Unconditional acceptance subscale | 1.55 (0.47) | 1.69 (0.65) | 1.315 | 0.192 | 1.61 (0.56) | 1.60 (0.60) | −0.045 | 0.966 | 1.62 (0.57) | 1.58 (0.46) | −0.282 | 0.781 | 1.61 (0.60) | 1.61 (0.47) | 0.010 | 0.992 |
Reciprocity subscale | 2.11 (0.73) | 2.13 (0.74) | 0.170 | 0.865 | 2.13 (0.74) | 1.88 (0.58) | −0.922 | 0.402 | 2.15 (0.73) | 1.90 (0.77) | −1.100 | 0.289 | 2.02 (0.73) | 2.29 (0.71) | 1.936 | 0.056 |
Attachment subscale | 2.01 (0.72) | 2.11 (0.81) | 0.713 | 0.477 | 2.07 (0.76) | 1.83 (0.61) | −0.842 | 0.441 | 2.08 (0.74) | 1.83 (0.85) | −1.024 | 0.323 | 2.00 (0.77) | 2.16 (0.73) | 1.121 | 0.266 |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Rodrigo-Claverol, M.; Manuel-Canals, M.; Lobato-Rincón, L.L.; Rodriguez-Criado, N.; Roman-Casenave, M.; Musull-Dulcet, E.; Rodrigo-Claverol, E.; Pifarré, J.; Miró-Bernaus, Y. Human–Animal Bond Generated in a Brief Animal-Assisted Therapy Intervention in Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders. Animals 2023, 13, 358. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030358
Rodrigo-Claverol M, Manuel-Canals M, Lobato-Rincón LL, Rodriguez-Criado N, Roman-Casenave M, Musull-Dulcet E, Rodrigo-Claverol E, Pifarré J, Miró-Bernaus Y. Human–Animal Bond Generated in a Brief Animal-Assisted Therapy Intervention in Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders. Animals. 2023; 13(3):358. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030358
Chicago/Turabian StyleRodrigo-Claverol, Maylos, Marta Manuel-Canals, Luis Lucio Lobato-Rincón, Natalia Rodriguez-Criado, Maite Roman-Casenave, Elisabet Musull-Dulcet, Esther Rodrigo-Claverol, Josep Pifarré, and Yvette Miró-Bernaus. 2023. "Human–Animal Bond Generated in a Brief Animal-Assisted Therapy Intervention in Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders" Animals 13, no. 3: 358. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030358