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Animal-assisted Interventions
Animal-assisted and robotic animal-assisted interventions
Animal-assisted interventions and robotic animal interventions are becoming increasingly popular to support the care of clinical populations and may have the potential to improve a range of psychosocial outcomes. We are developing a portfolio of work in this area. Example projects are below:
We are delighted to have been awarded a NIHR Programme Development Grant to lay the foundations for a large programme of research on dog-assisted interventions in mental health populations.
Despite a lack of robust scientific evidence and best practice guidance, dog-assisted interventions are increasingly implemented in NHS settings to improve mental health outcomes. Dog-assisted interventions are complex interventions that, due to the presence of an animal and third parties, require unique considerations for research design, conduct and reporting. The need for more rigorous research in this area is recognised. We aim to develop dog-assisted intervention-specific extensions to complement gold standard guidelines for designing and reporting intervention research (SPIRIT and CONSORT), preparing the ground for a robust randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a dog-assisted intervention in a priority population.
In order to develop extensions to the SPIRIT and CONSORT statements, we have conducted a systematic review to identify shortcomings in the design and reporting of dog-assisted intervention RCTs. This review also aimed to determine the effectiveness of mental health-focused dog-assisted interventions for populations with mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. While we found that dog-assisted interventions may be promising for improving mental health and behavioural outcomes, particularly for conditions requiring social support, there remains significant room for improvement in relation to the design and reporting of these RCTs, highlighting the need to develop dog-assisted specific SPIRIT and CONSORT extensions.
We are making great progress on the development of these extensions. For more information and updates, please visit our project web page.
Animal-assisted and robotic animal-assisted interventions with dementia care
We conducted a systematic review to identify, describe, and compare animal-assisted and robotic animal interventions delivered to people with dementia, their characteristics, effectiveness, and the proposed mechanisms underlying any potential impact. Our review formulated an initial programme theory of how animal-assisted and robotic animal interventions may ‘work’ within dementia care.
We also conducted exploratory research to expand our understanding of the context in which a robotic animal intervention is provided within inpatient dementia care, its outcomes, and potential mechanisms underlying any potential impacts. We conducted observations of these sessions and interviews with healthcare professionals, people with dementia, and their relatives. By including the perspectives of individuals involved in the delivery or receipt of the robotic animal intervention, we constructed a visualisation of our findings framed within the Intervention-Context-Actor-
Evaluating community-based dog-assisted services in Bracknell, UK
For over thirty years, Dogs for Good (DfG) have been using its knowledge and experience to bring people with disabilities and dogs together, enabling life-changing experiences. Dogs for Good have been working in Bracknell to develop their service delivery in a community area since September 2022. Dogs for Good provide animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) to support both children and adults with a range of needs, including those with autism, dementia, learning disabilities, mental health conditions and physical disabilities. This community dog hub model follows on from a successful pilot and partnership with Bracknell Forest Council, which saw participants achieve new levels of independence following AAI sessions with a Dogs for Good community dog. The success of the pilot was highlighted at Crufts in March 2018.
Currently, the community dog hub model delivers: (1) goal-oriented sessions with a trained community dog alongside their handler to support an individual or small group to achieve their goals or (2) animal-assisted activities with community or activity dogs and their handlers (who may be volunteers). These activities are less tailored to a specific goal and are designed to meet more general goals of improving mood, social engagement, and exercise. We conducted a preliminary evaluation of the service to explore how and why the community dog hub model may work. Findings indicated the service positively impacted mental health and wellbeing, which may be underpinned by various mechanisms (e.g., promotion of health through companionship and enhanced motivation to engage in activities). This evaluation highlighted the service’s successful implementation and positive impact, alongside delivery barriers. Further research is needed to evaluate this service at scale and explore how mechanisms may differ across diverse groups
The impact of Covid-19 on animal-assisted interventions
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a widespread shift in health services delivery from in-person to virtual platforms. This has also affected the delivery of animal-assisted interventions, with organisations delivering interventions virtually during lockdown periods. Virtual delivery constitutes a substantial deviation from the way these interventions are usually delivered, based on an inherent sense that ‘live interaction’ including sensory engagement with the animal (e.g., through touch) are essential intervention components. We conducted a small-scale survey with UK intervention providers to explore the impact of Covid-19 on the delivery of animal-assisted interventions during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the associated challenges and opportunities.
If you would like to discuss project ideas, please contact Dr Elena Ratschen.