The use of Animal-Assisted Therapy in adolescents with acute mental disorders: A randomized controlled study

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare the effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) with a standard treatment protocol in children and adolescents admitted to the psychiatry hospital for acute mental disorders. We used a methodology involving high quality standards for AAT research.DesignA pre-post experimental design with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in 34 hospitalized patients (17 treatment, 17 control) was carried out.Main outcome measuresThe study focused on improvement in clinical status including, global functioning measured by the Children Global Assessment Scale (C GAS), format of care and ordinary school attendance measured by a rating scale.ResultsOur results indicate a statistically significant improvement in global functioning, reduction in format of care and increased ordinary school attendance in the treatment group, but not in the control group.ConclusionsOur results verify that AAT can have significant positive effects on therapeutic progress and the recovery process.