OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pet therapy on geriatric psychiatry inpatients. A demonstrable impact could lead to more widespread or targeted use of animal companionship programs for hospitalized older persons. METHOD: The study design was a randomized, parallel-group control treatment trial with pretreatment and posttreatment measures. Fifty-eight subjects with chronic age-related disabilities who were patients of the Wills Eye Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Unit were assigned to a pet therapy intervention group or an exercise control group for 1 hr a day for 5 consecutive days. Every subject was blindly evaluated with the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) before and after the intervention week. RESULTS: No significant differences in MOSES scores were found between or within groups before and after the interventions. There was a nonsignificant tendency for subjects who received the pet intervention to have less irritable behavior after treatment. However, women with dementia who received eitherpet therapy or exercise intervention had improved irritable behavior scores after treatment. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates the need for further research on animal-assisted interventions with hospitalized elderly persons. Differential improvement in women with dementia also requires further investigation.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pet therapy on geriatric psychiatry inpatients. A demonstrable impact could lead to more widespread or targeted use of animal companionship programs for hospitalized older persons. METHOD: The study design was a randomized, parallel-group control treatment trial with pretreatment and posttreatment measures. Fifty-eight subjects with chronic age-related disabilities who were patients of the Wills Eye Hospital Geriatric Psychiatry Unit were assigned to a pet therapy intervention group or an exercise control group for 1 hr a day for 5 consecutive days. Every subject was blindly evaluated with the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) before and after the intervention week. RESULTS: No significant differences in MOSES scores were found between or within groups before and after the interventions. There was a nonsignificant tendency for subjects who received the pet intervention to have less irritable behavior after treatment. However, women with dementia who received either pet therapy or exercise intervention had improved irritable behavior scores after treatment. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrates the need for further research on animal-assisted interventions with hospitalized elderly persons. Differential improvement in women with dementia also requires further investigation.
Authors: Jiska Cohen-Mansfield; Marcia S Marx; Laurence S Freedman; Havi Murad; Natalie G Regier; Khin Thein; Maha Dakheel-Ali Journal: Am J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2011-10 Impact factor: 4.105
Authors: Jiska Cohen-Mansfield; Khin Thein; Maha Dakheel-Ali; Natalie G Regier; Marcia S Marx Journal: J Nerv Ment Dis Date: 2010-08 Impact factor: 2.254
Authors: Ben Carey; Colleen Anne Dell; James Stempien; Susan Tupper; Betty Rohr; Eloise Carr; Maria Cruz; Sharon Acoose; Peter Butt; Lindsey Broberg; Lisa Collard; Logan Fele-Slaferek; Cathie Fornssler; Donna Goodridge; Janet Gunderson; Holly McKenzie; Joe Rubin; Jason Shand; Jane Smith; Jason Trask; Kerry Ukrainetz; Simona Meier Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-03-09 Impact factor: 3.752