Exploring the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

BACKGROUND: animal assisted therapy has become a popular form of alternative therapy for various forms of illnesses, both physical and non. (O’Haire, 2012; Kruger, 2010; Palestrini et al., 2017) Despite becoming popular, the effectiveness of this alternative form of therapy still needs to be investigated further. OBJECTIVE: the aim of this dissertation is to assess the effectiveness of animal assisted therapy to be used as an alternative and additional form of therapy for individuals suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder both in a community-based form and in ward form. METHODS: a methodical search strategy was used to acquire the most relevant articles withing a 5-year range of publishing to ensure the relevance of found articles. The selection criteria applied included individuals with a diagnose of post-traumatic stress disorder, who had undergone preview traditional treatment. RESULTS: All studies highlight the importance for further studies to be carried and state that the effectiveness to animal assisted therapy in comparison to traditional treatment is slightly superior but statistically very small, differing by what the researchers had hypothesized. Despite that, all the presented papers in this dissertation mention the positive impact that animal-based therapy and interaction has on individuals, especially when living with a mental illness. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the use of animal assisted therapy for individuals suffering from various mental health system needs to be further investigated more in depth, yet the small amount of research accumulated until now proves the benefits of this type of alternative in collaboration with traditional psychotherapy and medication offered.