Universität zu Köln

Hartfiel, Cajetan, Bodatsch, Mitja, Klosterkoetter, Joachim and Kuhn, Jens (2017). Establishment of an Animal Based Therapy at a University Hospital for Psychiatry: Results of a Preliminary Study and Future Prospects. Psychiatr. Prax., 44 (1). S. 36 - 41. STUTTGART: GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG. ISSN 1439-0876

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Abstract

Objective: Dogs have been integrated in human society over centuries. This process has selected unique social and communicative skills. Dogs are thus able to represent social substitutes for human counterparts in cases of social withdrawal. Furthermore, dogs act as social catalysts in promoting interhuman encounters. Thus, the integration of dogs in psychotherapeutic concepts addressing social and interpersonal deficits may be of special interest. Methods: The present investigation reports the results of a pilot study to establish animal-assisted therapy (dogs) at a psychiatric department. The animal-assisted intervention straddled the following areas: (1) contact making, communication and orientation to needs, (2) recreation and play, (3) outward orientation, (4) release and farewell. The sample comprised 22 subjects. Results: The results demonstrated in particular that the animal-assisted intervention significantly promoted unspecific aspects of positive affectivity and wellbeing. Evaluation of the overall acceptance of the dog on the psychiatric ward revealed very positive feedback. Conclusions: We conclude that animal-assisted therapies represent a significant enchrichment of the therapeutic context, that may be used to enhance the patients' openness and adherence to conventional therapies.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Hartfiel, Cajetan UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Bodatsch, Mitja UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Klosterkoetter, Joachim UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kuhn, Jens UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-247747
DOI:	10.1055/s-0035-1552731
Journal or Publication Title:	Psychiatr. Prax.
Volume:	44
Number:	1
Page Range:	S. 36 - 41
Date:	2017
Publisher:	GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG
Place of Publication:	STUTTGART
ISSN:	1439-0876
Language:	German
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language ASSISTED THERAPIES; MENTAL-HEALTH; DOGS; INTERVENTIONS; FRIENDS; PETS Multiple languages Psychiatry Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/24774