Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Scoping Review Of Campus-Based Animal-Assisted Interactions Programs For College Student Mental Health, Tanya K. Bailey

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: People have long found support by interacting with animals, which has developed into a health care modality called animal-assisted interactions (AAI). In the past 10 years, AAI has increased as a way to support college students’ mental health; however, there is no comprehensive evidence on the effectiveness of these programs.
Method: A scoping review was conducted using the JBI and PRISMA-ScR criteria. Empirical articles were identified through Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost), PsychINFO (Ovid), and Web of Science using three groups of keywords: AAI, college students, and mental health.
Results: Of the 1,195 publications identified, 37 met this study’s eligibility …

The Effects Of Animal- Assisted Therapy On The Health And Well- Being Of Military Veterans: A Systematic Scoping Review And Recommendations For Future Research, Brooke Fonseka, Fiona Marshall, Laura J. Edwards

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Veterans of the armed forces may have experienced a range of physical and psychological traumas during their service, which can lead to long-standing problems with health and well-being, sometimes compounded with challenges accessing and engaging with support. Animal-assisted therapies (AAT) may offer an engaging, holistic approach that could be helpful for the veteran population. The aim of this scoping review is to examine the existing research on the effects of AAT on the health and well-being of veterans.

Method: The databases EMBASE (OVID), Web of Science, Cinahl, Cochrane and Medline were searched in October 2020. Articles were screened against inclusion …

Understanding Psychiatric Patients’ Experience Of Virtual Animal-Assisted Therapy Sessions During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Haley Scheck, Linzi Williamson, Colleen A. Dell

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Canine animal-assisted therapy (AAT) can improve the mental health and well-being of incarcerated individuals. An in-person AAT program has been offered at the Regional Psychiatric Center (RPC) in Saskatoon, Canada, since 2014 with St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program (SJATDP) dog and handler teams. The program transitioned, for the first time, to a virtual format with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. This exploratory research examines whether and how a virtual offering of AAT at RPC can provide positive benefits to forensic psychiatric patients. Overall, the findings reveal an understanding of the virtual sessions from patient, handler, …

The Meaning And Motivation Of Children Participating In Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Pilot Study, Beth Laskowski, Melissa Y. Winkle, Whitney Lucas Molitor

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

Background: Despite claims that animal-assisted therapy is beneficial, there is limited empirical evidence supporting this. Current literature supports the physical, emotional, and psychological benefits an animal can provide, but few studies have explored the outcomes of incorporating an animal into skilled treatment facilitated by a healthcare professional. This study seeks to explore the effects of animal-assisted therapy in outpatient pediatric occupational therapy practice.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the meaningfulness and motivation animal-assisted therapy interventions provide for pediatric clients when compared with traditional occupational therapy treatment.

Methods: Researchers utilized a within-participants repeated-measures design for this study. …

Integration Of Animal-Assisted Therapy Standards In Pediatric Occupational Therapy, Sara J. Shue, Melissa Y. Winkle, M J Mulcahey

People and Animals: The International Journal of Research and Practice

The primary purpose of this study was to describe how the best practice recommendations and standards of practice related to animal-assisted therapy (AAT) are being incorporated into pediatric occupational therapy (OT). The study design was a nonexperimental survey that identified the qualifications of pediatric occupational therapists that are incorporating AAT, the AAT standards of practice that are or are not used in practice, and the barriers and facilitators to being an AAT qualified occupational therapist. There were 21 respondents to the survey. The majority of respondents had a master’s degree, more than 10 years working as an occupational therapist, less …