Schooten Anke van, Peters-Scheffer Nienke, Enders-Slegers Marie-José, Verhagen Inge, Didden Robert
Center for Mild Intellectual Disability and Psychiatry, GGZ Oost-Brabant, Kluisstraat 2, 5427 EM Boekel, The Netherlands.
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ. 2024 Feb 29;14(3):540-553. doi: 10.3390/ejihpe14030036.
(1) Background: Dog-assisted therapy (DAT) is an experiential intervention to promote psychological, physical, and social functioning in children and adults. Only few studies have been conducted on DAT in adults with a mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning (MID-BIF). The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with MID-BIF undergoing DAT in a mental health care facility. (2) Method: Seven patients completed 13 to 15 sessions of DAT. Within two weeks of completing the program, they were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The transcripts of the interviews were analysed using interpretational phenomenological analysis. In addition, the patients' relatives and the DAT therapist were interviewed, and a focus group discussion took place with each patient's treatment team. (3) Results: The patients' experiences were predominantly positive. Physical contact with the dog calmed them down. The dog offered them emotional support and helped them to make contact inside and outside the therapy and the setting where they lived. The patients also liked the fact that DAT focused on the dog rather than their problems, that the therapy was experiential and using a positive approach, and that, during the therapy, they did not feel like a patient but a human being. DAT is a promising therapy for patients with MID-BIF in mental health care facilities, but more research into its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness and ways to implement DAT in clinical practice is needed to make more definitive statements.
(1) 背景：犬辅助治疗（DAT）是一种促进儿童和成人心理、身体及社会功能的体验性干预措施。针对轻度智力残疾或边缘智力功能（MID - BIF）的成年人进行的犬辅助治疗研究较少。本研究旨在探讨在精神卫生保健机构中接受犬辅助治疗的MID - BIF患者的体验。(2) 方法：7名患者完成了13至15次犬辅助治疗课程。在课程结束后的两周内，采用半结构化访谈对他们进行了访谈。访谈记录采用解释现象学分析方法进行分析。此外，还对患者的亲属和犬辅助治疗师进行了访谈，并与每位患者的治疗团队进行了焦点小组讨论。(3) 结果：患者的体验总体上是积极的。与狗的身体接触使他们平静下来。狗给予他们情感支持，并帮助他们在治疗期间以及生活环境中与他人建立联系。患者还喜欢犬辅助治疗关注的是狗而不是他们的问题，治疗是体验性的且采用积极的方法，而且在治疗过程中，他们感觉自己不是患者而是正常人。对于精神卫生保健机构中患有MID - BIF的患者来说，犬辅助治疗是一种有前景的治疗方法，但需要对其有效性、成本效益以及在临床实践中实施犬辅助治疗的方法进行更多研究，以便做出更明确的论断。
