Assessing a Structured, Goal-Oriented, Animal-Assisted Therapy Program among Youth with Socioemotional Problems: A Pilot Study of Feasibility, Acceptability, and Initial Efficacy

项目摘要 在过去几年中，动物辅助活动的使用有所增加， 动物辅助疗法（AAT）旨在治疗青少年的社会，情感和行为问题。到 然而，迄今为止，关于这些方案是否具有额外的治疗效果的经验调查有限。 超越传统疗法的效果。此外，许多AAA/AAT程序是非结构化的或使用 动物作为治疗过程的辅助手段。相比之下，犬康复和护理犬辅助 治疗课程，由总部设在芝加哥的犬治疗团组织开发，是一个8至10周的 一个结构化的、以目标为导向的活动计划，专门针对狗的训练。该计划已被 在几个弱势青年和成年人群体中实施，包括一个已经到位的方案， 在劳伦斯霍尔的住宅儿童和家庭治疗中心（CFTC）工作了10多年， 当受虐待和被忽视的青少年需要住宿时， 治疗以稳定他们的行为。CFTC旨在治疗有严重情绪行为的青少年， 康复与护理计划是CFTC的几种替代治疗方法之一。的目标 该试点项目的目的是：1）测试恢复与护理犬辅助治疗计划的初步疗效 在劳伦斯大厅的36名青年中，和2）测试的可行性，可接受性，和短期疗效 将该计划扩大到目前正在接受社会，情感和 行为问题该项目的结果将提供初步证据，证明是否有一个结构化的目标- 以狗训练活动为重点的定向干预计划对增加年轻人有直接影响。 情绪自我调节，冲动控制和自我效能，这是干预的重要目标， 青少年有各种各样的心理健康问题。如果成功的话，这个项目可能会导致一个更大的，随机的 对照临床试验研究，测试该计划的纵向影响，并可能进一步导致国家 传播康复与护理课程作为替代治疗方法。

PROJECT SUMMARY Over the past several years there has been an increase in the use of animal-assisted activities (AAA) and animal-assisted therapies (AAT) aimed at treating youth with social, emotional, and behavioral problems. To date, however, there is limited empirical investigation of whether these programs have additional therapeutic effects beyond the use of traditional therapies. Moreover, many AAA/AAT program are unstructured or use animals as an adjunct to the therapy process. In contrast the Canine Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy curriculum, developed by the Chicago-based Canine-Therapy Corps organization, is an 8- to10-week program of structured, goal-oriented activities focused specifically on dog training. This program has been implemented in several populations of vulnerable youth and adults, including a program that has been in place for over 10 years at Lawrence Hall’s residential Child and Family Treatment Center (CFTC) which provides acute levels of care and a valued placement option when abused and neglected youth need residential treatment to stabilize their behaviors. The CFTC is designed to treat youth with severe emotional behaviors, and the Recovery & Care program is one of several of CFTC’s alternative therapeutic approaches. The goals of this pilot project are to: 1) test for initial efficacy of the Recovery & Care Canine-Assisted Therapy program among 36 youth from Lawrence Hall, and 2) test the feasibility, acceptability, and short-term efficacy of expanding the program to a group of 36 youth currently in outpatient treatment for social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Results from this project will provide preliminary evidence of whether a structured, goal- oriented intervention program focused on dog training activities has direct impact on increasing youth emotional self-regulation, impulse control, and self-efficacy, which are important targets for intervention among youth with a wide range mental health problems. If successful, this project could lead to a larger, randomized control clinical trials study that tests the longitudinal impact of the program and could further lead to national dissemination of the Recovery & Care curriculum as an alternative therapeutic approach.