Hill Jessica, Waldby Lucy, Quinlan Teresa, Fleming Jennifer, Hoyle Melanie, Driscoll Carlie
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Sep 27;14(19):2792. doi: 10.3390/ani14192792.
University students experience poorer mental health outcomes when compared to the general population. Poor mental health has been associated with reduced wellbeing and low academic performance, resulting in higher rates of withdrawal. Animal-assisted education is an intervention found to result in a reduction in anxiety and an increased learning engagement among primary and secondary students. However, minimal research has been conducted regarding the inclusion of therapy dogs in the learning environments of students in tertiary education. This study explored the influence of animal-assisted education on the experience of university students. A total of 56 university students engaged with animal-assisted education over a 13-week period and completed an online survey comprised of open- and closed-response questions. The findings showed that all perceived benefits of the therapy dog, including improved mood and reduction of anxiety, increased motivation and engagement in learning activities, as well as an improved social engagement with peers and the educator. Preliminary findings demonstrated that the inclusion of animal-assisted education into the teaching of university students may assist in supporting their mental health and overall learning experience. Research is needed to explore the most effective ways to incorporate animal-assisted education into university settings for both students and therapy dogs.
与普通人群相比，大学生的心理健康状况较差。心理健康不佳与幸福感降低和学业成绩低下有关，导致退学率更高。动物辅助教育是一种干预措施，已发现其可降低中小学生的焦虑并提高学习参与度。然而，关于在高等教育学生的学习环境中引入治疗犬的研究极少。本研究探讨了动物辅助教育对大学生体验的影响。共有56名大学生在13周的时间里参与了动物辅助教育，并完成了一项由开放式和封闭式问题组成的在线调查。结果表明，治疗犬带来的所有感知益处包括情绪改善、焦虑减轻、学习活动的动机和参与度提高，以及与同伴和教育工作者的社交互动改善。初步研究结果表明，将动物辅助教育纳入大学生教学中可能有助于支持他们的心理健康和整体学习体验。需要进行研究以探索将动物辅助教育纳入大学环境对学生和治疗犬最有效的方法。
