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Reducing Anxiety and Stress among Youth in a CBT-Based Equine-Assisted Adaptive Riding Program.
Kimberly Hoagwood1, Aviva Vincent2, Mary Acri1
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University, New York, NY 10012, USA.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|October 14, 2022
Summary
Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic riding program that significantly reduced anxiety and improved emotional regulation in youth. The study confirmed the feasibility of collecting physiological stress and relaxation markers from both children and horses, showing no adverse effects on equine well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Youth anxiety is a growing public health concern requiring novel therapeutic interventions.
- Therapeutic riding programs show promise for mental health, but physiological stress and relaxation markers need further investigation.
- The Reining in Anxiety (RiA) program integrates cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with therapeutic horseback riding for youth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of collecting salivary cortisol and oxytocin from youth and horses during a 10-week therapeutic riding intervention (RiA).
- To examine changes in youth stress (cortisol) and relaxation (oxytocin) during and across the intervention.
- To evaluate the impact of RiA on youth anxiety symptoms, emotional regulation, self-efficacy, and program fidelity, while ensuring equine welfare.
Main Methods:
- A 10-week RiA intervention combining adaptive riding with CBT components for 39 youth (ages 6-17) with mild-to-moderate anxiety.
- Collection of youth and horse saliva samples at weeks 1, 4, 7, and 10 to measure cortisol and oxytocin.
- Administration of self-report measures for anxiety, emotional regulation, and self-efficacy; fidelity data recorded per session.
Main Results:
- Caregiver-reported anxiety significantly decreased, and emotional regulation scores increased from pre- to post-intervention.
- Youth saliva samples showed decreased cortisol and increased oxytocin at specific timepoints, indicating acute stress reduction and relaxation.
- Horse saliva assays revealed no significant changes in cortisol or oxytocin, confirming the intervention's lack of stress induction in horses. Program fidelity was reliable.
Conclusions:
- The RiA program is a feasible and effective intervention for reducing anxiety and improving emotional regulation in youth.
- Physiological measures support the program's effectiveness in managing stress and promoting relaxation in participants.
- RiA can be safely delivered by certified instructors in naturalistic settings, offering a promising, accessible approach to youth mental health.
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