Pawesome Friends to the Rescue! Animal Assisted Interventions

Introduction

The relationship between humans and animals has developed over thousands of years. Domestication of many species of animals occurred throughout the world as humans and animals found ways to take advantage of their mutual need for food, shelter, and protection. As human culture evolved, so did the relationship with domesticated animals. In modern times, the role of the companion animal has flourished. In fact, animals have been gradually intro duced to a variety of health care settings where they provide physical, psychological, and emotional benefits to individuals. These therapeutic roles include 3 animal types: Service Animals, Therapy Animals, or Emotional Support Animals.

Human-animal relationship

Humans seem to possess a predisposition to be attracted to the activities of other animals, explaining some of the benefits of animal assisted interventions (AAI). In fact, the bond between humans and animals is part of what helps patients achieve therapeutic gains. The “therapeutic potential” of AAI could vary according to the animal species involved. As an example, dogs’ ability to develop a complex communication system with humans makes these animals particularly suited to facilitate social interactions and communication. Dogs’ attitude to be trained has led them to be the most used animals to study the beneficial effects of pets on people of all ages.

Therapeutic roles of animals

1. Service animals The idea of service animals grew out of the need to replace lost or impaired human function (e.g. guiding the blind). They are also solicited to complete tasks more effectively than humans (e.g. rescue dogs and victim identification) or provide functionality that is absent in humans (e.g. explosive ordnance detection, illicit pharmaceutical detection). Thus, they are trained diligently to perform a specific task and they are granted access to healthcare facilities by law. Service animals are described as dogs, but a recent inclusion has been made for miniature horses for the blind.
2. Therapy animals In general, therapy animals provide contact-based emotional comfort to patients with whom they have no prior attachment to. In other words, they are placed in contact with a person to perform the therapy service for a finite period of time that may or may not be repeated. Unlike Service Animals, Therapy Animals are meant to be touched, as physical contact is a key aspect of their therapeutic intervention. Because of these less constrained roles (i.e. not required to perform a critical task), a greater variety of animals may serve in this capacity, e.g. : cats, rabbits, birds, horses, etc. Regardless of the animal involved, therapy animals do not remain in the healthcare facility, as they will return home with their owner, or to an animal care facility after the therapy has been completed.
3. Emotional Support Animals The emotional support animal (ESA) is a type of animal that provides comfort to help relieve a symptom or effect of a person’s disability .This animal is owned by the person who has a disability. An individual with an ESA is required to obtain documentation from a psychologist or psychiatrist that he or she has a condition whose management is supported by the animal‘s presence, e.g. anxiety or depression. These may be invisible disabilities. ESAs can involve different species e.g. dogs, cats, birds, ducks, hamsters, reptiles, etc. ESA’s presence must provide a significant benefit. These animals are devoid of specific training or certification requirements, and they don’t need to perform any tasks other than what a pet of the same species would perform. Their sole role is to provide on-demand emotional comfort in a constant companion fashion.

Health benefits of companion animal

In humans, negative affective states, such as depression, are associated with premature mortality and increased risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and disability. By contrast, positive affective states,  such as those arising from close social relationships, are protective.

There is increasing evidence suggesting that a close relationship with a pet animal is associated with significant health effects in people. The most cited outcomes are: lowered risk factors for cardiovascular disease, higher chance to survive after myocardial infarction, less need of physician services during stressful life events and a highly significant reduction in everyday minor health problems during the first months after acquiring a pet.

AAI has been shown to benefit the young and the old, in both inpatient and outpatient settings, with medical conditions both acute and chronic. AAI studies have shown  physiologic and psychological reductions in pain, blood pressure, stress, depression, and anxiety. Furthermore, feelings of well-being, self-esteem, self-efficacy and, social interaction are increased. Studies have shown that short sessions (5– 20 minutes) have been just as effective as longer sessions (>20 minutes).

Being involved in a positive interaction with a dog causes a significant increase in oxytocin, a neuropeptide that reduces responses to social stress and mediates the rewarding aspects of attachment. Significant decrease in stress hormone levels (like cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine) are also seen after interactions with dogs.

Animals, particularly dogs, can have a profound calming effect on children. Animals may indeed help children cope with mildly stressful activities (e.g. visit to the doctor’s office or reading aloud) and also with a major stressful experience like hospitalization.

Since children are less anxious when they interact with therapy dogs they are also more willing to engage with peers and adults. In fact, an increase in responsiveness and willingness to communicate has been observed when a dog was introduced in the classroom or in therapeutic environments.

Interestingly, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who have specific impairments in communication, exhibit a natural interest towards animals, especially dogs. Introducing a friendly dog into a therapeutic session was found to increase socially appropriate behaviours, attention and language use. Companion animals somehow possess the ability to reconnect such people with the outside world, breaking down the barriers of  isolation that make them refractory to conventional forms of treatment.

Therefore, the comfort of a dog is a powerful tool which healthcare workers can use, allowing them to access their patients’ emotions and to decrease the suffering involved with illness.

Conclusion

The ability of domesticated animals to absorb people’s attention  in non-threatening ways and to elicit pro-social behaviour and positive affect may serve as an emotional bridge to mediate interactions in therapeutic contexts.

Studies have shown that interaction with animals can improve cardiovascular health, help manage stress, increase physical activity, help retain health and mobility with aging and encourage engagement with new people.

Thus, integrating animals as part of the holistic care plan provides a unique therapeutic benefit to patients and families.