Effects of animal-asisted therapy for anxiety reduction in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Constança Brandão, Maria Sampaio, Valéria Sousa-Gomes, Marisalva Fávero*, Diana Moreira

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
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Abstract

Background: Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is a clinical approach aimed at building valuable human–animal relationships with both preventive and therapeutic goals. It is provided by a healthcare professional and involves animals (meeting certain criteria) as an integral part of the treatment process. This type of therapy has been shown to have multiple benefits in several areas, such as reducing anxiety in a variety of different groups of people. However, few studies have specifically investigated the benefits of AAT in reducing anxiety in children and adolescents. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess the evidence regarding the effectiveness of AAT in reducing anxiety among children and adolescents while also identifying research gaps in this field. Methods: Studies focusing on the relationship of these two variables were obtained from multiple databases (EBSCO, PubMed, and Web of Science). Results: AAT has grown and the literature demonstrates several benefits of this approach. However, few studies have demonstrated the benefits of AAT for reducing anxiety in children and adolescents. Conclusions: Most of these few studies show that this type of intervention can help reduce anxiety levels.

Original languageEnglish
Article number287
Number of pages10
Journal Journal of Clinical Medicine
Volume14
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 6 Jan 2025

Keywords

  • Adolescents
  • Animal-assisted therapy
  • Anxiety
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Children
  • Systematic review

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