AN EVALUATION OF THE BENEFITS OF A COMPANION ANIMAL TO CHRONIC PSYCHIATRIC INPATIENTS (PET-FACILITATED THERAPY)

Many authors have presented the viewpoint that animal companions fulfill needs for affiliation and affection while enhancing self-reliance and self-esteem. Several researchers have investigated whether there are measurable positive effects of providing companion animals to elderly persons, incarcerated criminals, and psychiatric patients. Although some studies report positive results of having companion animals, much of the research has been methodologically weak.

The current study was an attempt to evaluate the relative therapeutic effect of a dog placed on a ward of chronic psychiatric inpatients as compared with a human therapist placed on a similar ward. Patients were assessed with the Psychotic Inpatient Profile and behavioral observations were made over the three-month period of the study. Ward morale was assessed with the Ward Atmosphere Scale. While statistical analyses did not support the hypothesis that an animal companion would be of greater benefit than a human companion in bringing about positive behaviors in chronic psychiatric patients, the study proved to be valuable as a field study of the effects of introducing a live animal to a psychiatric ward.

Although the presence of the dog itself had no statistically significant impact on patients' functioning, patients responded to other events related to the research. They were sensitive to changes in staff reactions to the research in that they exhibited more positive behaviors when staff members were relaxed about the study, and they became more hypervigilant when staff members were strongly opposing the study. In addition, patients seemed animated by media coverage of the study, and at times showed a lively interest in the experimenter.

Patients' lack of interest in the dog in part might be attributable to staff members' undermining of the project by overt and covert discouragement by staff of patients from interacting with the dog. Moreover, staff members seemed persistent in reinforcing the dog's undesirable behaviors, presumably so that they could maintain their dissatisfaction with the project, which further discouraged patients from developing an interest in the dog. The dog became increasingly maladjusted on the ward but recovered when removed from the setting.