title: Psychological Evaluation of Animal-assisted Intervention (AAI) Programs Involving Visiting Dogs and Cats for Alcohol Dependents: A Pilot Study.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop an evaluation method for animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs involving Mood Check List-Short form.2 (MCL-S.2) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for psychiatric daycare of Japanese alcohol. dependents. A total of 36 alcohol dependents completed the study and questionnaires assessing their state. A single session of AAI reduced both subjective and physiological measures of state anxiety (A-State); and this program induced a significant reduction in the anxiety after an AAI program session with the dogs and cats involved in the intervention (p = 0.001). The Wilcoxon t-test showed that there were also significant differences in the "anxiety", "pleasantness", and "relaxation". scores for MCL-S.2 among the alcohol dependents, before and after AAI; a significantly decreased "anxiety" score (p = 0.006), and increased "pleasantness" (p = 0.002) and "relaxation" (p=0.012) scores for MCL-S.2 after AAI. The results of this study indicated that alcohol dependents who experienced a group AAI session-program exhibited significant improvements in their feeling; decreased anxiety, and increased pleasantness and relaxation.
authors.forename: Nobuyo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohtani
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: Mitsuaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwahashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D056447:Animal Assisted Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012063:Relaxation