Animal Assisted Intervention has emerged as an effective method to treat mental disorders such as depression, social phobia, and anxiety. The current literature in the field examines the degree to which animals are potentially therapeutic. Psychologists are analyzing the distinct attributes of animals that contribute to the treatment of mental disorders in addition to the value of animals as living instruments that can be applied to realize positive changes in patients’ social behavior and self-concept.
Animal-assisted therapy is effective in treating depression and anxiety since animals act as social facilitators, symbols and metaphors, objects of attachment as well as sources of social support.
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Clinical depression entails mood disorders that cause distressing symptoms which further affect how people handle daily activities like eating or sleeping, as well as how they think and feel. The diagnosis of depression includes a critical evaluation of different symptoms like feelings of pessimism or hopelessness, anxiety, mood swings, and irritability or restlessness, regularly observed for a specified period (Marr et al., 2012).
Other symptoms of the disorder include loss of appetite, loss of interest in activities or hobbies, decreased energy in addition to difficulty in concentrating and sleeping (Banks, & Banks, 2012). Accordingly, psychologists have identified psychotherapy and particularly positive emotions as the best treatment for depressive disorders which involves teaching patients’ new ways to behave, think in addition to changing habits that contribute to depression.
Animal-assisted interventions have become effective psychological therapies for social phobia and anxiety, particularly discovering and critically assessing the effectiveness of treatment methods like cognitive-behavioral interventions. Psychologists are concerned about the correlation between animals and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as well as investigating the effectiveness of each component in treating anxiety and social phobia (Martin & Farnum, 2012).
Psychologists have put more emphasis on cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, in their study Rowa & Antony (2005) aimed at bridging this gap by examining the different models of social phobia and anxiety and determining the most effective and innovative treatment strategies psychiatrists can apply to cure the condition.
Behavioral and AAI interventions for Social Phobia seem to be the most effective treatment than supportive interventions and/or wait-list controls. Even though comparisons between pharmacological therapy and AAI treatment have generated inconsistent outcomes, the researchers believe that different emerging treatment techniques prove promising results.
In other words, Rowa & Antony (2005) suggest that the recent trends in anxiety treatment using methods like AAI (long-term treatment for depression) in cases involving anxiety and social phobia is an innovative approach. This is because the therapy primarily focuses on improving different relational factors in an individual’s lifetime. Accordingly, the results of the study indicated that most patients diagnosed with social phobia and who received the AAI therapy showed positive results.
Psychologists affirm that, to yield more positive results, it is necessary for psychologists to integrate the AAI treatment with elements of positive emotions. Physicians must use the Precise Personal Management tool to assess the patient’s mood and anxiety behaviors in addition to the effectiveness of AAI in treating mental health disorders (Banks, Willoughby & Banks, 2018). ‘
Additionally, the authors also affirmed that prolonged social phobia and anxiety could go beyond the point whereby an individual’s daily life is disrupted. Consequently, this type of disorder may put a person’s mind and body in a state of dread and doom, thereby the body responds to these effects by displaying signs of anxiety.
Animal-assisted intervention improves a person’s behavioral health as animals are objects of attachment. A study by Alvernia University showed that mental health problems affect many areas of an individual’s life including reducing their quality of life, physical health, and satisfaction experiences. AAIs play a vital role in changing the patient’s perspective about depression by enhancing the attachment between the patient and the animals, thereby making them embrace positive emotions (Edwards & Beck, 2012).
Mindfulness meditation structures the mind by making it feel calmer and more relaxed. Nonetheless, mindfulness meditation is increasingly getting a lot of attention among school therapists since it appears to help with so many physical and psychological problems such as high blood pressure, chronic pain, sleep trouble, anxiety, and depression.
Moreover, therapists believe that Yoga and meditation classes help in boosting immune function and stop binge eating (Fine, 2010). AAIs also help in creating an experimental paradigm that allows in the strengthening of the optimal functioning of such students.
Mindful meditation also plays a vital role in increasing self-awareness skills that help the students to structure their mind towards preventing it from being unhealthy. Therefore, AAIs improve their self-concept and the sense of belonging and self-esteem that offer the victims with positive perspectives with regards to traumatic experiences.
In contrast to adulthood, mental health disorders during childhood usually manifest as internalizing (emotions) and externalizing (behavioral) problems. Examples of behavioral problems include aggression, defiance, and oppositional problems, whereas emotional problems comprise depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal (Barak et al., 2011). Emotions often accompany motives, while emotions ideally possess motivational properties of their own.
Animal-assisted interventions incorporate emotions to increase the motivation of bipolar disorder patients to get treatment. Meditation is a mental discipline (Nimer & Lundahl, 2017). Individuals begin the practice by focusing their attention on their breath, a sensation in the body, or a chosen word or phrase. At this stage, they note the thoughts, emotions, and background sounds that arise from moment to moment, observing them without analyzing them or making judgments about what’s going on around them (Barker & Dawson, 2018). Considerably, if an individual drifts their thoughts about the past or concerns about the future, they tend to bring their attention back to the present, for example, by refocusing on their breathing.
Therapists use the mood chart in helping the students to restructure their mindset towards healthy living. A mood chart works best to mitigate bipolar disorder symptoms. Psychiatrists use the chart to monitor variations in anxiety and depressive levels. For instance, if a students’ mood has been progressively declining, therapists can anticipate possible depressive states shortly (Odendaal, 2010).
Moreover, the therapist must encourage the students to meditate and sleep regularly. Combined with other therapies like mediation, AAIs are significant since it allows the nervous system and the immune system to reset themselves. This ensures that the brain functions properly to reduce the effects of trauma. Significantly, when the brain does not have enough rest, it is often difficult for people to realize a full stabilization of moods.
The inability to overcome the frequency or intensity of such feelings creates a barrier for patients to recover from the symptoms. Psychologists institute animal-assisted therapy programs that work towards encouraging the patients to embrace positive emotions of joy as a way of motivating them towards successful healing.
Effective AAIs constitute a blend of cognitive therapy and behavioral therapy. AAIs focus on changing the patients’ moods and thoughts. Behavioral therapy specifically targets actions and behaviors. A therapist practicing the combined approach of AAIs and CBT works with such individuals in a structured setting.
The two work to identify specific negative thought patterns and behavioral responses to challenging or stressful situations. Consequently, therapists tend to influence the affected students by assisting them to develop more balanced and constructive ways to respond to stressors. Ideally these new responses will help minimize or eliminate the troubling behavior or disorder.
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References
Banks, M. R., & Banks, W. A. (2012). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities. The journals of gerontology series A: biological sciences and medical sciences, 57(7), M428-M432.
Banks, M. R., Willoughby, L. M., & Banks, W. A. (2018). Animal-assisted therapy and loneliness in nursing homes: use of robotic versus living dogs. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 9(3), 173-177.
Barak, Y., Savorai, O., Mavashev, S., & Beni, A. (2011). Animal-assisted therapy for elderly schizophrenic patients: a one-year controlled trial. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry, 9(4), 439-442.
Barker, S. B., & Dawson, K. S. (2018). The effects of animal-assisted therapy on anxiety ratings of hospitalized psychiatric patients. Psychiatric services, 49(6), 797-801.
Edwards, N. E., & Beck, A. M. (2012). Animal-assisted therapy and nutrition in Alzheimer’s disease. Western journal of nursing research, 24(6), 697-712.
Fine, A. H. (Ed.). (2010). Handbook on animal-assisted therapy: Theoretical foundations and guidelines for practice. academic press.
Marr, C. A., French, L., Thompson, D., Drum, L., Greening, G., Mormon, J., … & Hughes, C. W. (2010). Animal-assisted therapy in psychiatric rehabilitation. Anthrozoös, 13(1), 43-47.
Martin, F., & Farnum, J. (2012). Animal-assisted therapy for children with pervasive developmental disorders. Western journal of nursing research, 24(6), 657-670.
Nimer, J., & Lundahl, B. (2017). Animal-assisted therapy: A meta-analysis. Anthrozoös, 20(3), 225-238.
Odendaal, J. S. (2010). Animal-assisted therapy—magic or medicine?. Journal of psychosomatic research, 49(4), 275-280.
Rowa, K., & Antony, M. M. (2015). Psychological treatments for social phobia. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(6), 308-316.