Animal-assisted therapy for middle-aged schizophrenic patients living in a social institution. A pilot study

Objectives: To determine whether animal-assisted therapy is effective in the rehabilitation of middle-aged schizophrenic patients living in a social institution. Design: A before and after study with nine-month treatment period. Setting: Social institute for psychiatric patients. Subjects: Seven sch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical rehabilitation 2004-08, Vol.18 (5), p.483-486
Main Authors: Kovács, Zoltán, Kis, Renáta, Rózsa, Sándor, Rózsa, Linda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Animal assisted therapy
Bonding, Human-Pet
Exercise
Female
Humans
Hungary
Institutionalization
Institutionalized
Male
Middle age
Middle Aged
Middle aged people
Patients
Pilot Projects
Pilot studies
Psychotherapy
Rehabilitation
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia - rehabilitation
Schizophrenic Psychology
Social interaction
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Summary:Objectives: To determine whether animal-assisted therapy is effective in the rehabilitation of middle-aged schizophrenic patients living in a social institution. Design: A before and after study with nine-month treatment period. Setting: Social institute for psychiatric patients. Subjects: Seven schizophrenic patients living in the social institute. Interventions: Weekly sessions of animal-assisted therapy for a nine-month period, each therapeutic session lasting for 50 minutes. Measures used: The Independent Living Skills Survey assessed by an independent rater. Results: After the completion of the therapy significant improvement in the domestic and health activities occurred. Conclusions: Animal-assisted therapy seems to be helpful in the rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients living in a social institution.
ISSN:0269-2155
1477-0873
DOI:10.1191/0269215504cr765oa