A model animal therapy program for mental health settings.
This paper describes the structure and function of a program of animal therapy used with hospitalized psychiatric patients as part of a comprehensive therapy milieu. It begins with identification of some common psychological needs of psychiatric patients and continues with a discussion of ways in which therapeutic recreation programs such as this can address these common needs and facilitate their development in psychotherapy. In addition, potential modifications are explored as a means of adapting the principles of this model to accommodate the resources of virtually any mental health or recreational therapy program.
D000818:Animals; D002140:California; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D009769:Object Attachment; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011998:Recreation