Feasibility of Animal-Assisted Therapy in the Treatment of Depression


Creative Commons License

Impram O., Allahverdi F. Z.

Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, cilt.16, sa.3, ss.543-553, 2024 (Hakemli Dergi) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Derleme
  • Cilt numarası: 16 Sayı: 3
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.18863/pgy.1373976
  • Dergi Adı: Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Premier, Central & Eastern European Academic Source (CEEAS), Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.543-553
  • Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
  • İstanbul Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The objective of this review is to assess the potential inclusion of animal-assisted therapy practices in the treatment of depression. Given the documented rise in the incidence of depression in recent years, there is a recognized significance in exploring innovative approaches to depression treatments. While previous studies and systematic reviews have investigated animal-assisted therapy in general or in relation to topics like anxiety, no specific study detailing the impact of animal-assisted therapy practices on depression treatment was identified. Consequently, this review was undertaken to fill this gap. The review focused on studies conducted between 2011 and 2022, evaluating a total of 6 randomized controlled studies. The findings from these studies suggest that integrating animal-assisted therapy practices into the depression treatment process can yield positive effects. Despite the observed benefits, it is important to note that systematic application of animal-assisted therapy reveals certain deficiencies. Therefore, there is a recognized need for additional studies to address and refine the systematic implementation of animal-assisted therapy in the context of treating depression.