Australian Community and Health Professionals Perceptions of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Area of Science:

• Mental Health
• Psychotherapy
• Complementary Medicine

Background:

• Mental health conditions are rising in Australia, with existing treatments facing efficacy barriers.
• Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) are increasingly accepted, with over 70% of Australians utilizing them.
• Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) offers a culturally sensitive, complementary approach to mitigate conventional therapy barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess knowledge and acceptance of EAP for general psychopathology among Australian community members and health professionals.
• To compare EAP acceptance levels between community members and health professionals.
• To identify predictors of EAP acceptance in both groups.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 144 community members and 55 health professionals in Australia.
• Data analysis using independent t-tests and hierarchical multiple regressions.
• Investigated perceptions of EAP beyond its direct field.

Main Results:

• Community members demonstrated significantly higher acceptance of EAP compared to health professionals.
• For community members, social support and openness were key predictors of EAP acceptance.
• Rural location emerged as the sole significant predictor for health professionals' acceptance of EAP.

Conclusions:

• Community members are more receptive to EAP than health professionals in Australia.
• Factors like social support, openness, and location influence EAP acceptance.
• Further research is needed to understand health professionals' perceptions of EAP in Australia.