Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) in a Recovery-Oriented Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program

Previous animal-assisted interventions (AAI) studies have documented that human-animal interaction can reduce anxiety levels and improve social skills and quality of life. In recent decades there was a growing evidence on the benefits achievable through human-animal relationship in different categories of people, such as children with autism spectrum disorder, elderly patients affected by dementia, patients with psychiatric disorders and alcohol/drug addiction.

In the present study ten patients from psychiatric residential facilities belonging to the EPASSS Foundation were approached to participated in this study. Patients followed a rehabilitation project named "Animal-Mente". This project originated from the collaboration of the psychiatric residential facilities belonging to the EPASSS Foundation with "La coda di Ulisse", a Third Sector Organization (ETS) which represents the Apulian reference centre for AAI. Outcome assessments were conducted at recruitment (time 0) and after animal-assisted intervention (time 1).

Significative improvements were found for symptomatology as emerged from the BPRS scale's results. Aspects of recovery with a special focus on hope and determination were assessed by the RAS scale, which showed a significative difference between before and post intervention.

Our data highlighted the feasibility of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) in community mental health services. Our study underlined the opportunity of AAI in an integrative recovery oriented psychiatric rehabilitation program involving mental health department, psychiatric residential facilities and third sector organizations in a network activity.