Animal-facilitated therapy in stress mediation

A Correlational Study Exploring Nurse Work Anxiety and Animal-Assisted Therapy

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to perform a correlational study to explore nurse work anxiety.

BACKGROUND

Nurses experience work anxiety with chronic stressful situations, high-acuity assignments, and rigorous patient care standards. The purpose of this study was to determine whether animal-assisted therapy during active worked hours would reduce nurse work-related anxiety.

METHODS

Animal-assisted therapy interventions were performed for both day and night shifts. Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI) tool was used pre and post intervention. Each nurse interacted with the therapy dog for at least 10 minutes.

RESULTS

Pet-assisted therapy as an intervention for nurses during work reduced work-related anxiety (t = 5.878, P < 0.05). A Pearson's correlational study displayed a strong positive correlation between the animal-assisted therapy and reduction in BAI scores (r = 0.7717, R2 = 0.5955).

CONCLUSION

This prospective study has shown that nurse work anxiety significantly decreased during worked hours of active bedside care when the nurses actively engaged with a therapy dog.

A Survey of Occupational Therapists Using Pet-Facilitated Therapy

Pet-facilitated therapy (PFT) is considered a "nontraditional" modality that is being used for a variety of therapies to facilitate a wide spectrum of goals that patients may reach in the course of their therapy. The therapeutic use of animals can be applied anywhere, from the patient's home, to the clinic, or even to the patient's bedside in an institution. This study was designed to survey registered occupational therapists regarding their opinions about the use of PFT and to obtain some statistical information regarding its use in practice. Responses to the majority of questions were skewed to the favorable side. Optional discussion questions reporting drawbacks, suggestions, and comments were summarized to convey apparent trends.

Use of animal-assisted therapy in the rehabilitation of an assault victim with a concurrent mood disorder

Multidisciplinary mental health rehabilitation settings often encounter patients with complex comorbid medical and psychiatric issues that require integrative, multifaceted treatment strategies. Although medication and psychotherapy are typical treatment mainstays, a broader variety of therapeutic options are available, including animal-assisted therapy. Here we describe a patient who received animal-assisted therapy as a psychiatric rehabilitation tool to ameliorate his atypical depression following an assault and subsequent head injury. A review of the relevant literature highlights the therapeutic potential of animal-assisted therapy to restore and maintain patient independence and level of functioning, both of which are key treatment goals.

Pet therapy research: a historical review

From its unpretentious beginnings in pastoral England to the current interest in scientific research and trials of its use, pet therapy is clearly drawing attention to its benefits. Throughout the 40-year history of pet therapy, nursing and nursing research has been at the very heart. The growing body of research in pet therapy reflects nursing's own evolutionary process. This article reviews the history of pet therapy and discusses the growing body of research illustrating the healing power of animal use.