China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Animal-Assisted Therapies
Published in Tricia L. Chandler, Fredrick Dombrowski, Tara G. Matthews, Co-occurring Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, 2022
Tara G. Matthews, Dawn Yelvington
Romaniuk et al. (2018) completed a study that evaluated outcomes of an equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) program for Defense Force veterans and their partners (47 participants: 25 individuals and 22 couples) across the psychological domains of depression, anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress, happiness, and quality of life, as well as comparing the outcomes of an individual and couples program. The study sought to expand on prior research and contribute to growing evidence of the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy programs for veteran populations who identify as ‘wounded, injured, or ill’. The results indicate that equine-assisted therapy might be useful in the reduction of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD symptoms and the improvement of quality of life. However, these gains may be short term unless partners are integrated into the interventions. While these findings demonstrate a promising trend, no conclusions regarding efficacy can be made, and a controlled trial with a larger sample size would help determine if equine-assisted therapy is an effective intervention for veteran populations (Romaniuk et al., 2018).
Lessons From a Pioneer in Equine-Assisted Therapies
Published in Lori R. Kogan, Phyllis Erdman, Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists, 2021
Equine-assisted therapy in all forms is a growing and multidisciplinary modality. There are multiple models/definitions and organizations for professional training/certification. For students researching the field, the lack of a cohesive nomenclature can be frustrating. Students can expect to search terms as varied as therapeutic horsemanship (TH), hippotherapy, equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) and equine-assisted learning (EAL). In a study of over 100 EAP practitioners (Matamonasa & Haefner, 2012; Matamonasa, 2015) the lack of a unified field was a theme and was referenced as “the wild west” although organizations such as the Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP) are attempting to establish field-wide certification criteria and ethics.
Challenges in Basic and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living among Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Scoping Review
Published in Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 2023
Janne L. Punski-Hoogervorst, Avi Avital, Batya Engel-Yeger
None of the 20 included studies performed specific treatment interventions aimed to improve ADL among individuals with PTSD. However, three studies (15%) performed both a baseline and follow-up assessment and therefore would be able to provide data about the effects of treatment on the performance of ADL (Ahmadian et al., 2019; Shelef et al., 2019; Shnaider et al., 2014). Of these studies, one found that six months of equine-assisted therapy (3 h once a week) lead to a reduction of self-reported trauma-related symptoms, a significant improvement of active days, and a trend for less disturbance of daily life activities (Shelef et al., 2019). Another study found that cognitive processing therapy (twelve 60-min sessions over six weeks) lead to a reduction of PTSD symptom severity and improvement of basic and instrumental ADL: not only for the full therapy, but also for the cognitive-only and the writing-only interventions (Shnaider et al., 2014). The remaining study did not describe any treatment or therapy their participants may have had between the initial assessment and the follow-up (Ahmadian et al., 2019).
The Effects of an Equine-Assisted Therapeutic Intervention on Well-Being in Persons Diagnosed with Schizophrenia. A Pilot Study
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2023
H. Cappelen, A. Ivarsson, H. Jormfeldt
The number of studies looking at the effects of equine assisted therapy and equine assisted rehabilitative interventions for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, are low in comparison to other populations such as cerebral palsy, autism, and youth at risk (Lee et al., 2016). Several research results have shown that equine-assisted therapy has the potential to promote a positive attachment, reflective ability, and emotional regulation and thus to facilitate personal recovery in people with severe psychiatric conditions (Bizub et al., 2003; Corring et al., 2010; 2013; Gabriels et al., 2012). Furthermore, EAT has also shown potential to improve clinical outcomes in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. For instance, Cerino et al. (2011) found a reduced rate of hospitalization, an improvement in negative symptoms and a persistent remission in early and chronic patients with schizophrenia. Bizub et al. (2003) have shown in a minor interview study that participants diagnosed with schizophrenia have been able to acquire basic skills to handle and manage the horse during a 10-week intervention with therapeutic riding and that this has led to increased self-confidence and strengthened self-esteem among the participants.
The Potential and Effects of Equine-Assisted Activities in a Day Care Center for Children and Adolescents with Developmental Disorders
Published in Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 2023
However, there were also various studies that showed equine-assisted activities had no effect. Equine-assisted therapy conducted twice weekly for nine weeks had no significant effect on the self-esteem and empathy of 26 children (10–13 years old) with severe emotional disorders (Ewing et al., 2007). Equine-assisted therapy (weekly sessions over seven months) had no significant effect on self-image, self-control, or life satisfaction of 14 at-risk adolescents (14–18 years old) compared to 15 comparable at-risk adolescents (non-random sample) (Bachi et al., 2012). Although equine-assisted therapy has been used to treat a multitude of psychological problems, quantitative studies on its efficacy are rare outside the United States and Western Europe (Klontz et al., 2007; Selby & Smith-Osborne, 2013).