Karin Hediger

Background and objectives: Animal-assisted interventions have been introduced in adolescent mental health care, but evidence for their added benefit in inpatient treatment remains limited. This study examined animal-assisted group psychotherapy across three assessment intervals: 1) the individual sessions, 2) the five-week intervention period, 3) the full inpatient stay.Methods: This controlled study included 276 adolescents aged 12–18 years receiving inpatient psychosomatic treatment. The intervention group (n = 108) participated in five weekly 150-minute animal-assisted group psychotherapy sessions alongside standard multimodal treatment, whereas the control group (n = 168) received standard treatment alone. Group allocation was determined by the treating clinicians based on predefined clinical indications and safety criteria. Linear mixed-effects models examined 1) immediate pre–post session changes in depressive symptoms and mindfulness, 2) change in depressive symptoms, self-esteem, self-concept, and mindfulness across the intervention period, and 3) admission-to-discharge changes in depressive symptoms by group.Results: Depressive symptoms decreased (b = −2.53 to −3.04, all p < .001) and mindfulness increased (b = 4.88 to 6.36, all p ≤ .001) immediately after individual sessions. Across the intervention period, depressive symptoms decreased, while self-esteem, self-concept, and mindfulness increased significantly (all p ≤ .031). Although depressive symptoms decreased substantially from admission to discharge in both groups, no significant time × group interactions were found for the BDI-II (b = 1.36, p = .371) or PHQ-9 (b = 0.65, p = .394).Conclusions: The findings suggest that animal-assisted group psychotherapy may provide short-term psychological benefits for adolescents receiving inpatient mental health care, potentially supporting readiness, attention, and therapeutic engagement. However, these immediate benefits do not necessarily translate into additional improvements in depressive symptoms over the course of inpatient treatment.

Background and objectives: Adolescents receiving inpatient mental health care differ considerably in their symptom burden, psychological resources, and patterns of change. This study identified latent profiles based on depressive symptoms and mindfulness and examined transitions between these profiles among adolescents participating in animal-assisted group psychotherapy.Methods: The sample comprised 108 adolescent inpatients aged 12–18 years (M age = 15.84 years, SD = 1.26) who participated in a five-week animal-assisted group psychotherapy program alongside standard inpatient treatment. Depressive symptoms and mindfulness were assessed before and after the intervention using the Beck Depression Inventory–Fast Screen and the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory. Profiles for each time point were identified using latent profile analysis and linked longitudinally using latent transition analysis.Results: Three profiles were identified at both measurement points: reduced burden (T1: n = 14, 14.0%; T2: n = 28, 26.7%), characterized by low depressive symptoms and high mindfulness; moderate burden (T1: n = 46, 46.0%; T2: n = 33, 31.4%); and elevated burden (T1: n = 40, 40.0%; T2: n = 44, 41.9%), characterized by high depressive symptoms and low mindfulness. Estimated transition probabilities indicated that 100% of adolescents in the reduced-burden profile and 86.9% of those in the elevated-burden profile at T1 remained in their respective profiles at T2. Among adolescents in the moderate-burden profile at T1, 27.7% transitioned to the reduced-burden profile over the five-week intervention period.Conclusions: Adolescents showed distinct depression–mindfulness profiles with different patterns of stability and change. Adolescents with moderate initial burden were most likely to transition toward a more favorable profile, suggesting that they may represent a particularly responsive subgroup. These findings highlight heterogeneity in adolescents’ patterns of functioning and change during multimodal inpatient treatment incorporating animal-assisted group psychotherapy.

Background: Pets can contribute to the wellbeing of people receiving home care but may also present practical challenges for clients, family caregivers, and professional caregivers. The Dutch PET@home Toolkit was developed to support stakeholders in addressing pet-related issues in home care. Differences in care practices and support infrastructure mean that the toolkit cannot simply be transferred to other national contexts.Objective: To adapt the Dutch PET@home Toolkit for use in the United Kingdom.Design: Participatory adaptation study using qualitative interviews and focus groups.Setting(s): Interviews and focus groups were conducted online with participants based in the United Kingdom.Participants: Twelve participants with backgrounds in social care, veterinary practice, animal welfare, and related fields contributed through individual interviews, focus groups, and/or member checking.Methods: The Dutch PET@home materials were translated into English and reviewed with UK-based stakeholders. Information relevant to adaptation was identified through a pragmatic and iterative analysis of interviews and focus groups. Suggested adaptations were incorporated into the materials and reviewed within the research team. Revised materials were subsequently returned to participants for member checking and review of UK English.Results: The adaptation resulted in the SAFEpet@home Toolkit. Key changes included greater emphasis on collaboration with veterinary practices, replacement of the Five Freedoms with the Five Domains Model, increased diversity in visual materials and represented companion animal species, and inclusion of UK-specific organisations and support resources. Other adaptations addressed practical issues such as planning for multiple pets and veterinary decision-making.Conclusions: The Dutch PET@home Toolkit was adapted to reflect UK care practices, animal welfare guidance, and support infrastructure while retaining the core principles of the original toolkit. The findings suggest that a participatory adaptation process is a feasible approach for adapting toolkits to different national contexts.

Background: Animal-assisted treatment (AATx) is a promising and increasingly used approach in neurorehabilitation, yet its psychophysiological effects remain largely unexplored. Patients in a minimally conscious state (MCS) show severely altered consciousness with minimal but definite behavioral signs of awareness. Because behavioral assessment in this population is limited, psychophysiological measures such as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) may offer valuable insights into autonomic regulation during therapy.Aim: The present study investigated whether AATx influences HR and HRV compared to treatment as usual (TAU).Methods: A randomized controlled crossover design with repeated measures was conducted. HR and HRV data were recorded using an Empatica E4 wristband, and linear mixed-effects models were fitted for each outcome variable. The analytic sample included seven MCS patients who completed all four recorded sessions (pre- and post-AATx and TAU).Results: We found a significant decrease in mean HR (estimate = −12.75, p = .041) and a significant increase in the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) (estimate = 15.76, p = .020) during AATx compared to TAU from the pretreatment to the posttreatment phase, indicating enhanced parasympathetic activation and greater autonomic flexibility. Other HRV parameters revealed no significant effects of AATx, though trends were consistent with the hypotheses.Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary physiological evidence that AATx can modulate autonomic activity in MCS patients. Despite limitations related to sample size and recording quality, the results highlight the potential of AATx as an emotionally engaging intervention in early neurorehabilitation.

Background: Studies have discussed the relation between pet ownership and several health outcomes, but the evidence remains inconclusive. It is suggested that factors related to the owner, the animal, and the human–animal relationship might explain general associations in findings. This study investigates differences in health, social support, life satisfaction, loneliness, and psychological well-being by pet ownership and regular animal contact status. It explores whether these outcomes are associated with attachment to the animal, perceived socio-emotional support from the animal, the animal species, and the amount of animal contact and how these variables relate to each other. Method: We investigated data from a representative survey of 2,328 Swiss participants. We used health behaviour, health status, healthcare use, social support, life satisfaction, loneliness, and psychological well-being to conduct regression analyses, with pet ownership, human–animal contact, attachment to the animal, socio-emotional support from the animal, and the animal species as the predictors, while controlling for socio-demographic variables. Results: Pet owners reported a slightly lower health status and a slightly higher frequency of unhealthy behaviour. We found no difference in healthcare use, loneliness, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, or the amount of human social support between pet owners and non-pet owners. People with regular animal contact did not differ in health status, health behaviour, healthcare use, loneliness, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, or human social support compared to people with no regular animal contact. Attachment to the animal and the animal species were not related to health, loneliness, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being, while socio-emotional support from the animal and the amount of animal contact were sometimes associated. Moreover, we found that attachment to and socio-emotional support from the animal were higher in females, in relation to dogs, and when people spent more time with the animal. Discussion: We found little evidence for a general association between pet ownership or regular animal contact and human health and well-being. However, relationship-related factors, including socio-emotional support from the animal and the amount of contact with the animal, were sometimes associated with well-being. Moreover, the quality of the human–animal relationship depended on different factors, such as the amount of spent time with the animal or animal species. These findings suggest that associations between pet ownership and human health and well-being depend on characteristics of the owner, the animal and the human–animal relationship itself. Our study shows that pet ownership is a complex construct and should be conceptualised multidimensionally to understand its possible positive or negative associations with health outcomes.

Previous research has examined the potential of exposure to greenspaces to reduce maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, such as repetitive negative thinking, and to foster connectedness with non-human nature. However, research comparing green and urban built environments often primarily attributes the benefits of greenspace exposure to their positive features, without explicitly addressing road traffic noise as a potential stressor in urban settings. This study investigated how 30-minute walks in forests and urban built environments with varying levels of road traffic noise in Zürich, Switzerland, affect noise annoyance, connectedness with non-human nature and repetitive negative thinking. By accounting for traffic noise, the aim was to isolate the effects of environment (urban built. vs. forest) with minimal confounding. Data from 354 healthy adults were analyzed. Road traffic noise annoyance was generally lower (i) in forests than urban built settings, (ii) in lower road traffic noise than higher road traffic noise settings, and (iii) in areas with longer than in those with shorter relative quiet time. Notably, the robust association between road traffic noise and annoyance was particularly pronounced in forests. In contrast, neither walking in forests nor in environments with lower road traffic noise nor such with longer relative quiet time was associated with a greater reduction in repetitive negative thinking, a stronger increase in nature relatedness or love and care for nature. The results underscore the role of road traffic noise as a significant health-related stressor and support the need for targeted noise mitigation—particularly around urban forests— to preserve their restorative potential. Additionally, the results highlight the relevance of quiet intervals and temporal noise patterns in shaping perceived annoyance, extending beyond average noise measurements. This study has been registered in the ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN48943261). https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN48943261 Registered 23.11.2023.

Background and objectives: Neuropediatric hospitalization presents significant psychological challenges that affect quality of life, learning, and treatment adherence. Hippotherapy might address these factors, but its psychological effects are underexplored. This paper explores the psychological and neuropsychological potential of hippotherapy in pediatric neurorehabilitation. Objectives include analyzing (1) patient characteristics, (2) session characteristics, (3) patients’ psychological and neuropsychological reactions, and (4) therapists’ perceptions of the extent to which the therapeutic goals were realized in the sessions. Methods: This retrospective explorative study examines data from 581 children and adolescents (M = 9.01 years, SD = 3.88) with severe neurological disorders who underwent hippotherapy. We used the registration form for each patient and session-documentation forms for each hippotherapy session. We extracted information regarding patient and session characteristics, performed a content analysis on the documented reactions of the patients and the predefined neuropsychosocial goals set by the rehabilitation team, and examined to what extent the goals were met during hippotherapy. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Patients received an average of 3.47 hippotherapy sessions. During hippotherapy, 66.4% of the predefined goals were reached; cognitive functions and social behavior were the most successfully achieved goals. The most frequently documented patient reaction was had fun (81% of all sessions). Conclusion: Our study shows that hippotherapy is a feasible and beneficial treatment for neuropediatric patients with severe neurological impairments. The goals of hippotherapy can be much broader than the usually targeted physical functioning and mobility. Hippotherapy might be especially effective in promoting fun and motivation and in addressing patients’ socioemotional needs.