Psychogeriatrics : the official journal of the Japanese Psychogeriatric Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Randomized controlled study on the effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy on depression, anxiety, and illness perception in institutionalized elderly.
The aim of this study was to verify dog-assisted therapy's effectiveness on depression and anxiety in institutionalized elderly. Patients' illness perception was examined to identify core beliefs regarding mood, personal control, and illness coherence because they can affect treatment compliance. Subjective perception of pain, social interaction, and setting-bound observable variables were also studied. ⋯ Dog-assisted therapy has proved to be effective in reducing symptoms of depression in institutionalized elderly. The increase in verbal interactions with the handlers throughout the study suggests the dog acts as a facilitator of social interaction, eliciting positive emotional responses. Dog-assisted therapy shows promising results in the perception of illness timeline and treatment control, indicating potential enhancement of the sense of treatment-related empowerment. However, further study is required.