Johnston, Cara; Van Huyssteen, Samantha; Grajfoner, Dasha; Sinclair, James Bruce; (2022) Exploring the effect of a therapy dog in a group for young people experiencing anxiety. Mental Health Practice 10.7748/mhp.2022.e1629. (In press).

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Abstract

Research suggests that the inclusion of dogs in the delivery of psychotherapy for adolescents may have a positive effect on outcomes. This article details an evaluation that explored the effect of introducing a dog to cognitive behavioural therapy-based anxiety management groups for young people aged between 11 years and 14 years. A total of 35 young people attended these groups, which ran either with or without a dog present. The results suggest that the presence of a therapy dog significantly reduced young people’s anxiety ratings in five of the six sessions and contributed to a higher discharge rate after completing the group therapy (44% in the groups with the dog versus 28% in the groups without the dog). Qualitative feedback indicates that the presence of a therapy dog improved the young people’s experiences by enabling them to feel increasingly relaxed and confident in the group. These findings suggest that a therapy dog can enhance young people’s experiences in group therapy, particularly in the early stages, and increase discharge rates.

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