Animal Therapy Essay

Animal-assisted therapy has become a widely common therapy treatment for individuals with mental illnesses. The definition set for animal-assisted therapy by The American Veterinary Medical Association is “a goal-directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. It is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, or cognitive function” (Rosseti et al., 2010, p.45). The process of animal-assisted therapy varies based on the requirements of the individuals. Animals can directly help individuals with mental illnesses without them having to be patients at a psychiatric hospital. Simply being around animals or owning a pet can be beneficial.
A study performed by The American Journal of Occupational Therapy reported on the percentage of individuals with serious mental illnesses and whether they owned a pet, the reasons for owning the pet, and the relationship between the individual and their pet and how engaged they were in meaningful activities (Zimolag & Krupa., 2009, p. 126). “The first purpose of the study was to answer three questions:
• What proportions of mental health clients are pet owners and non-pet owners?
• What are the clinical and
In a study performed by Levinson is 1969 he discovered the benefits his dog had on a withdrawn child. His dog acted as a bridge between the therapist and the child. Dogs are easier to talk to than another human to individuals who find it hard to communicate so the therapist can gain information from the patient sharing with the dog and the patient gains comfort from being able to share their problems. Being around a dog can also simply lighten the mood. “Man’s best friend”, as dogs are called, promote happiness and laughter which can be healthy for psychiatric patients (Rosseti et al., 2010,